Act 3, Scene 3 — Macbeth — Study Shakespeare

The argument Two murderers — joined by a mysterious third, sent by Macbeth — ambush Banquo and Fleance in the dark. Banquo is killed. Fleance escapes.

Enter three Murderers.

FIRST MURDERER [suspicious of the newcomer]

But who did bid thee join with us?

But who ordered you to join us?

But who told you to come with us?

who sent u?

"who did bid thee join with us" The identity of the Third Murderer is never revealed — a deliberate ambiguity. His arrival shows Macbeth's paranoia and his expanding covert network.

THIRD MURDERER [terse, giving his authority]

Macbeth.

macbeth.

SECOND MURDERER ≋ verse [reassuring, vouching for the stranger]

He needs not our mistrust; since he delivers

Our offices and what we have to do

To the direction just.

He doesn't need our distrust; he delivers our responsibilities and what we must do with perfect direction.

We can trust him; he's given us clear instructions about what to do.

we can trust him he knows whats up

FIRST MURDERER ≋ verse [alert, watching for their target]

Then stand with us.

The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.

Now spurs the lated traveller apace,

To gain the timely inn; and near approaches

The subject of our watch.

Then take your position with us. The sun is still lighting the western sky. Now the late traveler hurries fast to reach his destination before dark; and our target draws near.

Then take your position with us. The sun's still fading in the west. The late traveler is rushing to get somewhere safe. And our man is coming.

take ur spot banquo comin soon

🎭 Dramatic irony The audience knows that Fleance's escape is catastrophic for Macbeth's plan. Macbeth does not know yet. The next scene is the banquet — and the ghost.

THIRD MURDERER [tense, straining to listen]

Hark! I hear horses.

Listen! I hear horses.

Shh, do you hear that? Horses!

i hear horses

BANQUO [calling out, unsuspecting of danger]

[_Within._] Give us a light there, ho!

Give us a light there, come on!

Give us some light, will you?

light! come on!

SECOND MURDERER ≋ verse [coldly confirming the target]

Then ’tis he; the rest

That are within the note of expectation

Already are i’ th’ court.

Then it's him; the others we expected are already at court.

Then that's him; the rest of them are already at court.

thats him others r at court

FIRST MURDERER [quick, tracking Banquo's movement]

His horses go about.

His horses are circling around.

His horses are turning around.

his horses circling

THIRD MURDERER ≋ verse [calculating, familiar with the route]

Almost a mile; but he does usually,

So all men do, from hence to the palace gate

Make it their walk.

Almost a mile; but he does this usually, like all men do, walking from here to the palace gate.

It's almost a mile, but he walks it like everyone does—from here to the palace gate.

mile walk he does it normally

Enter Banquo and Fleance with a torch.

SECOND MURDERER [sharp warning, the ambush is on]

A light, a light!

There's a light approaching! Look, another light!

I see a light!

theres a light!

THIRD MURDERER [grim certainty, naming their victim]

’Tis he.

That is him.

There he is.

it's him

FIRST MURDERER [terse command to attack]

Stand to’t.

Get ready for it.

Be ready.

BANQUO [unsuspecting small talk before the ambush]

It will be rain tonight.

Rain is coming this evening.

It's going to rain tonight.

gonna rain 2nite

FIRST MURDERER [menacing double meaning as he strikes]

Let it come down.

Let it fall.

Let's do this.

lets do it

"Let it come down" Double meaning: let the rain come down, but also let it all come down — the attack begins as he says it. Banquo's casual comment about weather is answered with violence.

[_Assaults Banquo._]

BANQUO ≋ verse [dying, desperate to save his son]

O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!

Thou mayst revenge—O slave!

Oh, betrayal! Run, good Fleance, run, run, run! You may avenge me—you villain!

It's a trap! Run, Fleance, run! You can avenge me!

run fleance! run! avenge me!

Why it matters Banquo's last word — 'slave' directed at his killer — is defiance, not supplication. His last act is directing Fleance to survive and avenge him. In death he becomes exactly what the witches promised.

[_Dies. Fleance escapes._]

THIRD MURDERER [alarmed, things going wrong]

Who did strike out the light?

Who put out the light?

Who turned off the light?

who killed the light?

FIRST MURDERER [defensive, brushing off the mistake]

Was’t not the way?

Wasn't that the right thing to do?

That was the plan, wasn't it?

that was the plan right?

THIRD MURDERER [uneasy, reporting the botched job]

There’s but one down: the son is fled.

Only one is dead: the son has gotten away.

We only got one; the son escaped.

only got one son got away

Why it matters The murderers' casual accounting mirrors how violence becomes bureaucratic under Macbeth's reign. They're not disturbed by the murder — only disappointed by the incomplete contract.

SECOND MURDERER [frustrated at the failure]

We have lost best half of our affair.

We've lost the most important part of our mission.

We've failed half the job.

we messed up half the job

FIRST MURDERER [resigned, bracing to report to Macbeth]

Well, let’s away, and say how much is done.

Well, let's go and report how much we accomplished.

Let's go report what we did.

lets go report

[_Exeunt._]

The Reckoning

The shortest scene in Macbeth's middle acts, and deliberately brutal. Shakespeare gives us no build-up, no ceremony. Banquo and Fleance arrive talking about horses; the torches are extinguished; Banquo fights and dies, calling out to Fleance to flee and avenge him. Fleance runs into the dark. The murderers report their partial success to each other with flat disappointment. The scene is designed to be over almost before we register it — which is the point. This is how Macbeth's violence works now: quick, efficient, administered. The fact that Fleance escapes is the hinge of everything: Macbeth's plan is half-executed, the prophecy remains alive, the ghost will come.

If this happened today…

A hit contracted by someone powerful. The team is in position in a dark parking garage. The target arrives. The lights go out. The older man fights, shouts to his son to run. The son gets away in the confusion. The team stands there in the dark with a dead man at their feet and an open question: the kid is gone.

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