Macbeth: Guilt from Banquo's Ghost?

Fitting into Macbeth’s already supernatural elements with the witches and their prophecies, it only seems fitting that Macbeth would see Banquo’s ghost after he is murdered. In III.iv, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are at a banquet with guests, like Ross and Lennox. Macbeth begins the scene by saying, “Ourself will mingle with society,/ And play the humble host.” (III.iv.3) and then a murderer stands at the door to tell Macbeth about Banquo. Immediately following the murderer’s departure, the GHOST OF BANQUO sits in Macbeth’s place. Although his wife and others are around him, Macbeth is shocked to see Banquo and begins speaking to him: “Here had we now our country's honour roof'd, /Were the graced person of our Banquo present,/ Who may I rather challenge for unkindness/ Than pity for mischance!” (III.iv.39). Lady Macbeth tries to offer an explanation to their guests about Macbeth’s odd behavior, “Sit, worthy friends; my lord is often thus,/ And hath been from his youth. Pray you, keep seat./ The fit is momentary; upon a thought/ He will again be well.” (III.iv.52). However, Macbeth continues to speak to Banquo’s ghost beside him, although the ghost never says a word.

My main reflection on this scene is looking at Macbeth’s character in a different way than we had before – throughout the play he has been conducting murders and has continued on his quest to be king. Here, the ghost, or realization of what he’s been up to, is staring him in the face. The real question is, then, is Macbeth finally feeling guilty? Is the ghost even before him or is he hallucinating from the overall madman he is letting himself become? Because of the other supernatural elements of the play, I do believe Macbeth did see Banquo’s ghost. And, through fear and confusion, he is beginning to feel that sense of remorse I don’t believe he thought he’d feel. I believe this sense of guilt frightens Macbeth because he wasn't expecting to feel this way and his strength begins to weaken.

To go out on a contemporary limb, this scene reminded me a lot of the Woody Allen film Match Point. The main character has an affair with a woman who becomes pregnant and in order to keep his marriage, he decides to kill her and also her neighbor (to make it look like a robbery). After their deaths, he is haunted by their ghosts and is awakened with terrible guilt. Although he doesn’t tell his wife of his wrongdoings, it is interesting to see a character, who had been so strong in his decision, breakdown in such a way. This scene just reminded me a lot of this movie and I definitely feel a lot of Woody Allen movies are Shakespearean in themselves.