Macbeth
Soliloquy Act III Scene I
LAUREN, RYDER, LABONNO AND PHIL
Context
 The soliloquy takes place at a feast in Macbeth’s
castle. Banquo leaves the castle and promises to
return for dinner. Due to his lack of children and the
witches’ predictions, Macbeth is fearful that
Banquo’s children will become the future kings of
Scotland. He thus arranges to have Banquo killed
upon his return to the castle.
Section 1
 To be thus is nothing,
 Macbeth’s paranoia becomes
 But to be safely thus. Our fears in
visible in this portion of the
soliloquy as he questions the
safety of his crown.
 His royalty comes with
consequences; fears for the
security of his position
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Banquo
Stick deep, and in his royalty of
nature
Reigns that which would be feared.
‘Tis much he
dares,
And to that dauntless temper of his
mind
 He fears Banquo’s ‘royalty of
nature’
 Acknowledges that Banquo is a
threat as his ‘fears in Banquo
stick deep’
Section 2
 He hath a wisdom that doth
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guide his valor
To act in safety. There is none
but he
Whose being I do fear; and
under him
My genius is rebuked, as it is
said
Mark Antony’s was by Caesar.
He chid the sisters
And bade them speak to him.
Then, prophet-like,
They hailed him father to a line
of kings
 It seems he only fears Banquo
because of his capability to
overthrow Macbeth
 Genius refers to a guardian spirit
that according to Roman classical
belief accompanied a spirit
throughout life – Macbeth’s guardian
spirit has left him leaving him
seemingly unprotected
 Shakespeare alludes to another
dramatic tragedy, Antony and
Cleopatra which was written five
years prior to Macbeth.
 “He chid the sisters” --> Banquo
asked the witches for his fate which
Macbeth attempts to use in justifying
his paranoia/fear
Section 3
 Upon my head they placed a
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fruitless crown
And put a barren scepter in my
grip,
Thence to be wrenched with an
unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If’t
be so,
For Banquo’s issue have I filed
my mind;
For them the gracious Duncan
have I murdered
 Slightly bitter tone here; feels
resentment towards the witches
and blames them for his
“fruitless crown”
 The fact that Macbeth does not
have children makes him regret
the murder of Duncan as his
actions have only a short term
success for his lineage, thus
paving the way for Banquo’s
descendants
 Also shows how Macbeth is
envious/jealous because unlike
Banquo, Macbeth does not have
children.
Section 4
 Put rancors in the vessel
of my peace
 Only for them, and mine
eternal jewel
 Given to the common
enemy of man
 “rancors” = bitter feelings;
shows that Macbeth does feel
guilty about murdering Duncan
and realizes that he will never
be at ‘peace’ with his newfound
royalty; also highlights his
paranoia
 “eternal jewel” refers to
Macbeth’s soul and “the
common enemy of man” refers
to the devil; shows that
Macbeth still understands that
his previous actions were
wrong
 Upset that he supposedly gave
up his precious soul for
Banquo’s children
Section 5
 To make the kings, the seeds of
Banquo kings.
 Rather than so, come fate into
the list,
 And champion me to th’
utterance. –Who’s there?
 Challenges fate despite
the fact that he fully
accepted the witches’
prophecies before
 Once again, decides to
act on the given
prophecy instead of
allowing it to play out;
before, he killed Duncan
to become king & now he
will kill Banquo in order
to secure his position
Contribution to the Theme
 This soliloquy begins to reveal the consequences of
Macbeth’s murder of Duncan and the outcome it may
have on Macbeth’s fate. In this soliloquy the reader
sees Macbeth realizing how he essentially has paved
the way for Banquo’s children. Macbeth’s reign is
only temporary yet Banquo will have several sons
reign as king of Scotland. Macbeth’s initial acts of
violence continue as there will always be a threat to
his crown thus, the violence due to his ambition to
remain king, continues.