Notice that the stage direction says "Hautboys and torches." Hautboys (pronounced HO-BOYS) are musical instruments similar to modern day oboes. They would play to announce the coming of the King. The torches indicate that the scene should be at night. Since Shakespeare did his plays during the day, it was always light outside and the audience had to imagine darkness, which is indicated in Shakespeare often with the use of torches, candles, or simply language (as when Banquo later looks into the sky and says he doesn't see any stars -- it's a dark night). I of

Remember that the scene is supposed to be a night scene, as indicated by the torch bearers, but most modern day productions I've seen did not present it that way. Rather, it is generally done in brighter light, as a day scene. It opens outside the castle, and many productions will include bird song, since Duncan and Banquo speak about birds. Yet, I suspect the only birds around are owls and ravens, the devil birds which symbolize Mac and his Lady. Banquo tells us the birds are martlets. The martlet was the symbol for a fool in Shakespeare's day, and both Duncan and Banquo's lines in this scene reveal them to be fools. They are standing at the brink of Hell and can say only that is "hath a pleasant seat." There is hidden meaning in that line (which I've discussed at length on this site, and which you'll find with a search of CLV SEAT DUNCAN), but it reveals what I think is the true Duncan -- an idiot which Shakespeare makes fun of.

However ... if you are interested in doing this scene in the modern theatre, then you have a lot of options av

Some topics in this essay:
SEAT DUNCAN, Globe Theatre, CASTLE GLAMIS, Duncan Banquo's, Anyhow Duncan, , Duncan Banquo, Lady Banquo, modern day, sunny afternoon,