Hi Vivian! To find out why Macbeth feels unfinished by the end of the novel, it is important to think about the prophesies of the three witches, or the Weïrd Sisters. Their chant serves as a catalyst to the rest of the play's narrative, as their prophesy drives Macbeth's fervent desire to be king, but, more importantly, his fear of Banquo's future reign. The Witches' chant in Act I, Scene 3 contains two predictions: the first that Macbeth will become king, and the second that Banquo's children will become kings, as the Third Witch tells Banquo that "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none" (I.iii.70). In other words, Banquo will not become king, but his children will. Yet over the course of the novel, only one of those prophesies is realized; Macbeth, of course, becomes king, but we never see Banquo's only son, Fleance, rise to the throne.
The unresolved nature of Fleance's narrative actually plagues Macbeth as his sole mistake in his rise to the throne. In his speech in Act III, Scene 1 instructing the murderers to kill Banquo, Macbeth remarks that they should, "To leave no rubs nor botches in the work," kill "Fleance, his son, that keeps him company, / Whose absence is no less material to me / Than is his father’s" (III.i.153-55). Despite Macbeth's instructions, Fleance manages to escape, saved by his father's cries of "O treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! / Thou mayst revenge" (III.iii.25). This quote is extremely important, as it not only gives possibility to the Witches’ second prophesy, it encourages a potential comeback for Fleance. Upon hearing the news that Fleance escaped, Macbeth is devastated, lamenting, “I had else been perfect, / Whole as the marble, founded as the rock, / As broad and general as the casing air. / But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in / To saucy doubts and fears” (III.iv.23-7). We as readers may find it strange that after Act III, Fleance is never mentioned again.
After Macbeth falls, Malcolm, who assumes the right to the throne, does not know of either the Witches’ prophesy or Fleance’s escape. His final speech, though triumphantly in meter, lacks a rhyme scheme, feeling disjoint and unsatisfying. As the new King Malcolm and Macduff, Macbeth’s murderer, exit the stage, we are left wondering what happened to Fleance, and whether the Three Witches’ prophesy will ever fully come true, bringing another tragic and untimely end to the new rulers. If this is an essay prompt and you need more material, you may also choose to think about the mysterious, offstage death of Lady Macbeth, a mysterious vanishment parallel to that of Fleance. Hope this helps, and best of luck!
