Summary of Act 2, Scene 1: Past midnight, Macbeth tells Banquo that they'll speak of the witches another time, and bids him goodnight. . . . Macbeth sees "a dagger of the mind," hears his wife's bell, and goes to kill King Duncan. Enter Banquo and Fleance.Banquo: "How goes the night, boy? (2.1.1). Enter Macbeth and a Servant.Banquo: "Give me my sword. / Who's there?" (2.1.9-10). Exit Banquo and Fleance.Macbeth: "Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? (2.1.33-34). Enter Banquo and Fleance:The scene opens with some casual conversation which tells us that it's very dark, and that something bad is about to happen. Banquo and his son Fleance are in the courtyard of Macbeth's castle, and Fleance is carrying a torch. Banquo asks Fleance, "How goes the night, boy? (2.1.1). He's not asking Fleance how he's doing; he's asking how late it is. Fleance hasn't heard a clock strike, but the moon is down, so it must be past midnight. Banquo then hands his sword to Fleance, who is apparently serving as his father's squire. Banquo also gives Fleance something else, perhaps the belt and sheath for the sword. It appears that Banquo is getting ready to go to bed, and he remarks that "There's husbandry in heaven; / Their candles are all out" (2.1.5). "Husbandry" is thriftiness; Banquo means that heaven has gone to bed, and has put out its "candles" (the stars) for the night. The moon is down, the night is starless, and there are no street lights in Macbeth's castle. In short, it's darker than any dark most of us have ever seen. And within this dark is fear. Banquo is dead tired and feels as heavy as lead, but he's fighting sleep because he's afraid of his own thoughts or dreams. He asks the powers above to "Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature / Gives way to in repose!" (2.1.8-9), but we don't know exactly what "thoughts" he's afraid of. A little later he says that he has dreamed of the weird sisters, so maybe he's ...
