Several of the guests have told us that the king had shouted at this invisible figure “What man dare, I dare. Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear”, when there was very clearly nothing on the seat. It seemed like he was seeing some sort of ghost. None of the guests could see anything on the seat. Lady Macbeth then went on to explain that the King has often been like this even from his youth and not to worry about Macbeth’s very sudden reaction. She continued to say “pray you speak not; he grows worse and worse. Questions enrage him. At once, good night, stand not upon the order of your going”. She seemed very intent on getting all of her guests out of her castle as quickly as possible.
During his “vision” of this apparently ghostly figure Macbeth at several points seems to return to his senses, screaming “unreal mockery” at what ever it was he could see. One of the guests at the banquet has told us that Macbeth suddenly came out of his trance like state saying, “I am a man again, pray you sit still” Lady Macbeth was also heard telling her husband off, which would suggest that he is not normally like this. She said “You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting”
It is clear however that after we were plunged into lamentation after hearing the news ok King Duncan’s death, who ha made Macbeth both the thane of glamis and the thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is obviously mourning just as much as we are, and is perhaps seeing vision of our beloved King, however why he was shouting “Thou canst not say I did it, never shake thy gory locks at me” at the King.
What s also strange is that Banquo the best friend of the King was absent from the banquet and has been reported missing today. This has possibly also helped Macbeth become so emotionally unstable. During the banquet Lady Macbeth took the King aside and was overheard saying “This is the very painting of your fear, this is the air drawn dagger which you said lead you to Duncan” What Lady Macbeth means by this is unclear however what is clear is that whatever Macbeth had seen last night has left us and most of this quests utterly perplexed.
