Macbeth: The Third Murderer Shakespeare's play Macbeth incorporates many elements of mystery. In particular, the mystery surrounding the identity of the Third Murderer in (III, iii, 79), which strangely contains thirty-three lines, is a topic of debate in many conversations about Macbeth. The focus of this article is on the identity of the third killer and the facts and restrictions placed on the suspects. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Ross, and the Weird Sisters all emerged as the most important choices for the true identity of the anonymous Third Murderer. The first person that comes to mind when discussing the identity of the Third Murderer is Macbeth himself. Who better than himself could carry out the murder ordered by Macbeth? As stated by an anonymous author in a newsgroup, "I believe it was Macbeth because of the visions he had of Banquo's ghost. Without being told what they had done to Banquo, Macbeth imagined almost exactly the things in which they killed him. by How would he have known if he hadn't been there?" (bricklayer from Australia). However, there are contradictions that exclude Macbeth as a possible Third Murderer. First of all, the very first sentence said by the First Assassin is: "But who invited you to join us?" (III, iii, 79) and the Third Murderer's response is simply "Macbeth" (III, iii, 79). This implies that the murderer was recognized, but it was not Macbeth himself. If it had been Macbeth, the First Murderer would not have asked, "Who bid thee to join us?" If it had been Macbeth, they would have asked, "Why?" not "Who?" The First Murderer goes on to ask the Third Murderer to stay with them, but if the murderer was Macbeth, the First Murderer wo... center of paper... book in Act 1, Scene 1. The Third Witch says that will be encountered soon, perhaps eluding the fact that he can take any form necessary and will reappear later as the Third Assassin to carry out the deed. As for restrictions, there are none. Witches can be anywhere, in any form, at any time, and they certainly could have taken part in Banquo's murder, perhaps ensuring that fate remained as they intended. The question remains unresolved and the work is open to the reader. interpretation, but the fact remains that the Third Assassin is a mysterious character who appears in a scene and leaves. No other information other than pure speculation is known. But the fact remains; Mystery and suspense along with the other three elements mentioned make up a fantastic work. Macbeth is truly a literary masterpiece.