Fleance
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Fleance is a fictional character in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth. Fleance is the son of Banquo, who is one of the king's trusted captains (along with Macbeth). It is prophesied by the three witches, the Weird sisters, that Banquo's descendants are to be king one day. He and his father are ambushed by assassins sent by Macbeth in Act 3, Scene 3. In this scene his father is murdered, but Fleance escapes. Supposedly, either Fleance or his relatives come back to Scotland and rule as kings, but the play does not cover Fleance beyond this scene.
[edit] Spoiler for Welles "Macbeth"
In the Orson Welles film version of Macbeth (1948), Fleance is briefly seen again at the very end of the movie. He does not speak in this scene, but he has returned to Scotland with the army of Malcolm and Macduff, and is shown along with those hailing Malcolm as the new king after the killing of Macbeth. In one production of Macbeth, Fleance is off to the side while Malcom is being hailed, and the witches can be seen beginning to come up behind him as the curtain falls.
Like his father, Fleance was mentioned in the Holinshed Chronicles as being an actual historical figure. According to that source, he fled into Wales, was wed to the Princess Nesta verch Gruffydd (daughter of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn), and had a son named Walter. However, it is generally believed that this story (and Fleance himself) is fictional.
His name appears to be taken from Flathald or Flaald, father of Alan Fitzaald, the founder of the Stuart family, who much later became kings of Scotland. However Flaald is a shadowy figure, but he was actually a Breton who probably never set foot in Scotland.
