BANQUO: “How goes the night, boy?”

• Meaning: Banquo asks his son how late it is.
• Theme:
  • Darkness & Supernatural – The setting is dark, symbolizing the evil that is about to take place.
• Literary Device:
  • Symbolism (Night/Darkness) – The darkness reflects the growing tension and foreshadows Duncan’s murder.

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FLEANCE: “The moon is down. I have not heard the clock.”

• Meaning: Fleance notes that the moon has set, and he has not heard a clock strike, suggesting that it is past midnight.
• Theme:
  • Uncertainty & Time – The late hour and lack of a clear time reflect the eerie atmosphere and the uncertainty of fate.

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BANQUO: “And she goes down at twelve.”

• Meaning: Banquo confirms that the moon sets at midnight.
• Theme:
  • Fate & Foreshadowing – Midnight is often associated with ominous events, hinting at the upcoming murder.

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FLEANCE: “I take ’t ’tis later, sir.”

• Meaning: Fleance thinks it is already past midnight.
• Theme:
  • Restlessness & Unease – Fleance’s uncertainty about the time mirrors Banquo’s disturbed state of mind.

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BANQUO: “Hold, take my sword.”

• Meaning: Banquo hands his sword to Fleance.
• Theme:
  • Paranoia & Fear – Banquo is cautious, possibly sensing danger in the air.

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“There’s husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out.”

• Meaning: Banquo notes that the sky is unusually dark, as if heaven has put out its lights (stars).
• Theme:
  • Supernatural & Fate – The lack of stars suggests something unnatural is happening, reinforcing the witches’ influence.
• Literary Device:
  • Personification (“husbandry in heaven”) – The heavens are described as being frugal with light, creating an eerie mood.

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“Take thee that too.”

• Meaning: Banquo gives something else (possibly a dagger) to Fleance.
• Theme:
  • Protection & Fear – Banquo is preparing for danger, showing his unease.

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“A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep.”

• Meaning: Banquo feels very sleepy (“heavy summons”), but he cannot rest due to disturbing thoughts.
• Theme:
  • Guilt & Conscience – Banquo, unlike Macbeth, does not act on his dark thoughts but is still haunted by them.
• Literary Device:
  • Simile (“lies like lead”) – His exhaustion is compared to heavy lead, emphasizing his struggle.

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“Merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursèd thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose.”

• Meaning: Banquo prays for divine help to stop the evil thoughts that come to him when he sleeps.
• Theme:
  • Fate vs. Free Will – He struggles to resist temptation, unlike Macbeth, who embraces it.
  • Religion vs. Evil – Banquo turns to God, contrasting Macbeth’s descent into darkness.
• Literary Device:
  • Personification (“nature gives way”) – Sleep is portrayed as a state where the mind becomes vulnerable to dark thoughts.

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Enter Macbeth, and a Servant with a torch.

• Significance: Macbeth’s entrance immediately after Banquo’s prayer creates dramatic tension, as one man seeks divine protection while the other prepares for murder.

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BANQUO: “Give me my sword.—Who’s there?”

• Meaning: Banquo quickly asks who is approaching, suggesting that he is on high alert.
• Theme:
  • Paranoia & Fear – Banquo senses something is wrong.

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MACBETH: “A friend.”

• Meaning: Macbeth reassures Banquo that he is not a threat, though he is lying.
• Theme:
  • Deception & Betrayal – Macbeth presents himself as an ally while secretly plotting murder.

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BANQUO: “What, sir, not yet at rest? The King’s abed.”

• Meaning: Banquo asks why Macbeth is still awake, noting that Duncan has already gone to bed.
• Theme:
  • Suspicion & Restlessness – Banquo is subtly questioning why Macbeth is awake so late.

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“He hath been in unusual pleasure, and Sent forth great largess to your offices.”

• Meaning: Banquo says Duncan was unusually happy and gave generous gifts to Macbeth’s household.
• Theme:
  • Irony & Betrayal – Duncan’s happiness contrasts with the treachery being planned against him.

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“This diamond he greets your wife withal.”

• Meaning: Duncan has given Lady Macbeth a diamond as a token of appreciation.
• Theme:
  • Loyalty vs. Betrayal – Duncan’s kindness makes Macbeth’s betrayal even more tragic.

BANQUO: “By the name of most kind hostess, and shut up / In measureless content.”

• Meaning: Banquo expresses Duncan’s gratitude towards Lady Macbeth, referring to her as a gracious hostess. Duncan is said to be “shut up in measureless content,” meaning he is completely satisfied.
• Theme:
  • Irony & Betrayal – Duncan’s trust contrasts with Macbeth’s imminent betrayal.

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“He gives Macbeth a jewel.”

• Meaning: Duncan has sent Macbeth a jewel, possibly another gift for Lady Macbeth.
• Theme:
  • Loyalty vs. Treachery – Duncan’s generosity highlights Macbeth’s disloyalty.

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MACBETH: “Being unprepared, / Our will became the servant to defect, / Which else should free have wrought.”

• Meaning: Macbeth apologizes, saying that if they had been properly prepared, their hospitality would have been better.
• Theme:
  • Deception & Manipulation – Macbeth continues to hide his true intentions with false politeness.

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BANQUO: “All’s well. / I dreamt last night of the three Weïrd Sisters. / To you they have showed some truth.”

• Meaning: Banquo admits that he has been thinking about the witches and notes that some of their prophecies have already come true for Macbeth.
• Theme:
  • Fate vs. Free Will – Banquo acknowledges fate but does not act on it as Macbeth does.

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MACBETH: “I think not of them.”

• Meaning: Macbeth lies, claiming that he does not think about the witches, even though he is obsessed with their prophecy.
• Theme:
  • Deception & Manipulation – Macbeth hides his ambition from Banquo.

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“Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve, / We would spend it in some words upon that business, / If you would grant the time.”

• Meaning: Macbeth suggests they talk about the witches later when they have more time.
• Theme:
  • Ambition & Power – Macbeth subtly tries to gauge Banquo’s willingness to conspire.

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BANQUO: “At your kind’st leisure.”

• Meaning: Banquo agrees to speak with Macbeth later.
• Theme:
  • Loyalty & Integrity – Unlike Macbeth, Banquo does not act on ambition.

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MACBETH: “If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis, / It shall make honor for you.”

• Meaning: Macbeth implies that if Banquo supports him when the time comes, Banquo will be rewarded.
• Theme:
  • Corruption & Temptation – Macbeth is subtly testing Banquo’s willingness to betray Duncan.
• Literary Device:
  • Euphemism (“cleave to my consent”) – Macbeth avoids directly mentioning murder, showing his manipulation.

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BANQUO: “So I lose none / In seeking to augment it, but still keep / My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, / I shall be counseled.”

• Meaning: Banquo says he will only consider opportunities that do not compromise his honor or loyalty to Duncan.
• Theme:
  • Honor vs. Betrayal – Banquo refuses to engage in treason.

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MACBETH: “Good repose the while.”

• Meaning: Macbeth bids Banquo goodnight.
• Theme:
  • Tension & Suspicion – Macbeth wants Banquo gone so he can proceed with the murder.

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BANQUO: “Thanks, sir. The like to you.” (Exit Banquo and Fleance)

• Significance: Banquo exits safely for now, but this moment foreshadows his later murder by Macbeth.

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MACBETH: “Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready, / She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.”

• Meaning: Macbeth orders the servant to tell Lady Macbeth to ring a bell when everything is ready for Duncan’s murder.
• Theme:
  • Conspiracy & Secrecy – Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are working together in a carefully planned crime.

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“Servant exits.”

• Significance: Macbeth is now alone, leading to his famous hallucination.

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MACBETH: “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.”

• Meaning: Macbeth sees a hallucination of a dagger leading him to Duncan’s room.
• Theme:
  • Guilt & Conscience – The vision reflects his internal conflict.
  • Supernatural & Fate – The dagger could be a supernatural force guiding him toward murder.
• Literary Device:
  • Imagery (Bloody Dagger) – The vision creates a haunting picture of Macbeth’s thoughts.
  • Personification (“Come, let me clutch thee”) – Macbeth treats the dagger as if it has a will of its own.

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“I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.”

• Meaning: Macbeth realizes he cannot physically touch the dagger, proving it is an illusion.
• Theme:
  • Madness & Reality – Macbeth is losing his grip on reality due to his ambition.

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“Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible / To feeling as to sight?”

• Meaning: Macbeth questions whether the dagger is real or just a vision.
• Theme:
  • Psychological Conflict – He is torn between ambition and fear.

“A dagger of the mind, a false creation / Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?”

• Meaning: Macbeth questions whether the dagger is real or just a hallucination caused by his stressed and feverish mind.
• Theme:
  • Madness & Guilt – His mind is betraying him before the crime even occurs.
  • Ambition & Fate – The vision suggests that destiny is pushing him toward murder.

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“I see thee yet, in form as palpable / As this which now I draw.” (He draws his dagger.)

• Meaning: Macbeth still sees the imaginary dagger as clearly as the real one he holds.
• Theme:
  • Supernatural vs. Reality – His hallucination blurs the line between what is real and imagined.
• Literary Device:
  • Imagery (dagger visualization) – The detailed description makes his hallucination vivid.

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“Thou marshal’st me the way that I was going, / And such an instrument I was to use.”

• Meaning: The hallucinated dagger seems to guide him toward Duncan’s chamber, as if leading him to commit the murder.
• Theme:
  • Fate & Predestination – Macbeth feels powerless, as if he is being controlled by fate.

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“Mine eyes are made the fools o’ th’ other senses / Or else worth all the rest.”

• Meaning: Macbeth wonders whether his sight is deceiving him or if his vision is clearer than his other senses.
• Theme:
  • Psychological Conflict – He questions his own perception, showing his mental instability.

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“And, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood, / Which was not so before.”

• Meaning: Macbeth suddenly sees blood on the dagger, symbolizing the murder he is about to commit.
• Theme:
  • Violence & Bloodshed – Blood represents guilt, foreshadowing the horror of Duncan’s murder.
• Literary Device:
  • Foreshadowing – The bloody dagger predicts the real bloodshed that will soon occur.

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“There’s no such thing. / It is the bloody business which informs / Thus to mine eyes.”

• Meaning: Macbeth realizes the vision is not real but a product of his guilty conscience.
• Theme:
  • Guilt & Paranoia – His mind is haunted by his violent intentions.

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“Now o’er the one-half world / Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse / The curtained sleep.”

• Meaning: Macbeth describes how the world is now asleep, but evil forces are awake, creating nightmares.
• Theme:
  • Disruption of Natural Order – Duncan’s murder will disrupt nature itself.
• Literary Device:
  • Personification (“Nature seems dead”) – Suggests unnatural events are unfolding.

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“Witchcraft celebrates / Pale Hecate’s off’rings, and withered murder, / Alarumed by his sentinel, the wolf, / Whose howl’s his watch.”

• Meaning: The night is filled with dark magic and evil omens, and murder is compared to a wolf, sneaking in the shadows.
• Theme:
  • Supernatural & Fate – Witches and omens foreshadow doom.
• Literary Device:
  • Allusion (Hecate) – Reference to the Greek goddess of witchcraft reinforces supernatural elements.

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“Thus with his stealthy pace, / With Tarquin’s ravishing strides, towards his design / Moves like a ghost.”

• Meaning: Macbeth compares himself to Tarquin, a Roman prince who committed a stealthy and violent crime.
• Theme:
  • Betrayal & Treachery – Like Tarquin, Macbeth is about to commit a dishonorable act.
• Literary Device:
  • Simile (“Moves like a ghost”) – Suggests Macbeth is now like a silent, haunted figure.

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“Thou sure and firm-set earth, / Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear / Thy very stones prate of my whereabouts.”

• Meaning: Macbeth does not want the ground to betray him by making noise, fearing even nature is against him.
• Theme:
  • Paranoia & Fear – He is already afraid of being discovered.
• Literary Device:
  • Personification (Earth as a witness) – Suggests Macbeth feels guilt even before committing the crime.

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“Whiles I threat, he lives. / Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.”

• Meaning: Talking too much cools his determination—he realizes he must act quickly.
• Theme:
  • Action vs. Hesitation – Macbeth knows he must stop overthinking and act.

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(A bell rings.) “I go, and it is done. The bell invites me.”

• Meaning: Lady Macbeth rings the bell, signaling that the moment of murder has come.
• Theme:
  • Inevitable Fate – The bell signals that there is no turning back.

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“Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell / That summons thee to heaven or to hell.”

• Meaning: Macbeth acknowledges that Duncan will soon be dead, and his soul will go either to heaven or hell.
• Theme:
  • Death & Morality – Macbeth sees the bell as Duncan’s funeral toll.
• Literary Device:
  • Metaphor (Bell as a death knell) – The sound is like a church bell for a funeral.