Characters: Lenox, the lord.
Time:later, King Macbeth has been king for a while.
Location: Somewhere in Scotland.
Events: Lenox talks of how Macduff has went to England, and that Fleance had feed and so was accused of killing Banquo, his father. After this, they begin talking of how a messenger has been sent, and that the country is unhappy under Macbeth’s rule. Also, war comes to Scotland.
Quote:”For’t would have angered any heart alive to hear the men deny’t.” This is said by Lenox. Remember the guards Macbeth framed and then killed in a ‘fit of rage’? Lenox brought them up again, and talked of how anyone would of been angered by what these 2 had done. But he also mentions the possibility that the 2 men would have denied what they had apparently done, which makes it seem as if Lenox has started to wonder if maybe it wasn’t the guards who did the job, but in fact someone else. Namely, the man who killed them. Indeed, Lenox is committing treason against king Macbeth, and doesn’t trust him, even possibly believing that Macbeth has been trying to cover up what he did.
This is an excellent exploration of the possible ways we might interpret that quote and this speaks to the cleverness of this scene in respect of the way it makes the audience aware of how guarded people might have had to have been when speaking against Macbeth at the time. It’s not until later in this scene that both characters begin to be more open about their disapproval of Macbeth.
Nice work.