Fleance

Role: son · First appears: Macbeth · Act III, Scene I

Life events

Macbeth commissions the murder of Banquo and Fleance, and the murderers agree to carry it out.(Macbeth · Act III, Scene I)
- With: Macbeth Banquo
- “Within this hour at most, I will advise you where to plant yourselves, Acquaint you with the perfect spy o’ th’ time, The moment on’t; for’t must be done tonight and something from the palace; always thought That I require a clearness. And with him (To leave no rubs nor botches in the work) Fleance his son, that keeps him company, Whose absence is no less material to me Than is his father’s, must embrace the fate Of that dark hour.”
Macbeth plans a dreadful deed against Banquo and Fleance, concealing its nature from Lady Macbeth.(Macbeth · Act III, Scene II)
- With: Macbeth Lady Macbeth Banquo
- “Thou know’st that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives. LADY MACBETH. But in them nature’s copy’s not eterne. MACBETH. There’s comfort yet; they are assailable. Then be thou jocund. Ere the bat hath flown His cloister’d flight, ere to black Hecate’s summons The shard-born beetle, with his drowsy hums, Hath rung night’s yawning peal, there shall be done A deed of dreadful note.”
Fleance escapes the murderers.(Macbeth · Act III, Scene III)
- “[Dies. Fleance escapes.]”
Fleance escapes the murderers who killed Banquo.(Macbeth · Act III, Scene IV)
- With: Macbeth
- “Fleance is ’scap’d.”

parent: Banquo (Macbeth explicitly identifies Fleance as Banquo's son.) “And with him (To leave no rubs nor botches in the work) Fleance his son, that keeps him company,”

parent: Banquo (Banquo addresses Fleance directly, and the murderers identify the escaping Fleance as Banquo's son.) “BANQUO. [Within.] Give us a light there, ho! SECOND MURDERER. Then ’tis he; the rest That are within the note of expectation Already are i’ th’ court. FIRST MURDERER. His horses go about. THIRD MURDERER. Almost a mile; but he does usually, So all men do, from hence to the palace gate Make it their walk. Enter Banquo and Fleance with a torch. SECOND MURDERER. A light, a light! THIRD MURDERER. ’Tis he. FIRST MURDERER. Stand to’t. BANQUO. It will be rain tonight. FIRST MURDERER. Let it come down. [Assaults Banquo.] BANQUO. O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! Thou mayst revenge—O slave! [Dies. Fleance escapes.] THIRD MURDERER. Who did strike out the light? FIRST MURDERER. Was’t not the way? THIRD MURDERER. There’s but one down: the son is fled.”

Extracted from the original text of Shakespeare's Tragedies. Made with Rho MD.