Macbeth-being silent has its advantages essay

Kayla Peterson 11 AP Ms. Hedstrom November 2, 2009 Being silent can have its advantages In plays there are some characters that appear briefly, do not say much or are mentioned but do not make an appearance and yet they still have an impact on the rest of the characters and plot of the play. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare the character Fleance fills this role. Fleance is important because he is to be King of Scotland, and that he is thought of a lot when Macbeth talks about the prophecies. Fleance disappears after scene three in Act III; yet he is still a part of the plot because he is heir to the throne as told in the Weird Sisters’ prophecy. After the witches explain Macbeth’s prophecy they explain to Banquo “ Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. ” (1.

2 67) What the witch meant was that Banquo’s line of heirs and descendants will become kings and be royalty. Banquo, on the other hand, will not be king of Scotland because destiny has other things in stored for him. Fleance, being the son of Banquo, means that he will be king when the time is right. To take the throne for him self, Macbeth hires three murderers to kill Fleance and Banquo to keep Fleance from gaining the throne and keep the throne for him self. Having Fleance escape, Shakespeare suggests that fate will have surprises for Macbeth in the future, and that Fleance will not be completely forgotten in scenes to come. Another reason why Fleance is an important, silent character is because he comes to mind when Macbeth goes back to the witches for answers. Macbeth goes to see the witches about getting some more answers about everything that has happened and what will happen. In Macbeth, Macbeth, in the lair of the withes’, sees a line of kings: “ And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass/ which show me many more.

” (4. 1 119-120) The mirror that the eighth king is holding shows the line of kings, Banquo’s children and their children to come, etc. , beginning with Fleance. All of the kings have some sort of mirror leading Macbeth to a glimpse of king after king after king showing that Macbeth will not be able to rule for the time he thinks he will. Fleance comes to mind because he is suppose be king, not Macbeth.

The first prophecy the witches told Macbeth and Banquo in the beginning of the play. Many times there are characters in plays that do not say much but will still have an impact on the plot of the play. Fleance being that kind of character.

Even though Fleance disappears after running away from the Murderers, he is still to be King in time according to the witches’ prophecy. When Macbeth tries to change this many rough patches come up to gain his own ending. After all Macbeth went through you wonder what happened to Fleance, no one knows because Shakespeare never reveals what happened to him and yet he still comes to thought through it all. Just comes to show that a silent character can have a big impact on the whole play.