Macbeth: Act 3: Scene 1 - 3

Here are some images I found in the reading. "Hie you to horse: adieu, till you return at night." (Macbeth, page 112) Basically, this quote is when Macbeth is telling Banquo to hurry off to horse, do whatever he needs to accomplish, and then hurry back in time for the formal dinner that he just invited him to. The significance of this quote is that Macbeth is trying to display himself to Banquo as a likable character and that he can trust him. But, in reality, Macbeth has other thoughts for Banquo. Instead of treating him to a nice dinner, he plans on hiring assassins to kill Banquo and his son so that the prophesy will not come true. (Macbeth's 'darker' side) Another quote I found, "...upon my head they placed a fruitless crown..." (Macbeth, page 114) This is when Macbeth is all alone and thinking to himself. He begins to think about the witches and their prophesy and how Banquo's children will be king. So, he comes to the conclusion that sometime during his time of power, he'll be overthrown. So, the whole 'fruitless crown' thing basically means that he just the stand in King. And, he doesn't like that thought. (I think that one somewhat works with planting) And, finally, another quote I found, "So is he mine: and in such bloody distance, that every minute of his being thrusts against my near'st of life..." (Macbeth, page 118) This is when Macbeth is trying to convince the murders that Banquo is an enemy and he needs to be taken care of. This is significant because even though they're friends, he would rather order assassins to kill Banquo and his son so that he doesn't get overthrown instead of letting things play out. He wants control over his fate. (This is a 'bloody' injury in his mind)