Meeting the three witches is the key reason why Macbeth embarks on the journey of his downfall. After a victory in battle, Macbeth and Banquo are walking in a forest when out of nowhere they meet the three witches. These three witches give him three prophecies: “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter (Shakespeare pg.17)!” Banquo also receives a prophecy: that his children will be king. Alarmed, Macbeth presses the witches for more information, however, they vanish without a trace. Macbeth, obsessed with these prophecies, realizes that he is only the Thane of Glamis, not Cawdor, and definitely not king. However, straight after, Macbeth …show more content…
In the play, we see very little to no hesitance or guilt from Macbeth about killing Banquo. Straight away we see Macbeth plotting to kill him- no internal conflict. This shows that by now, Macbeth has repressed his conscience. Macbeth is so driven on making sure that Banquo’s prophecy doesn’t come true, that he hires assassins to kill Banquo and his son. After the deed is done (Banquo’s son escapes), Macbeth feels at rest, however, he then starts to hallucinate about seeing Banquo’s ghost. He goes crazy in front of all the nobles and starts screaming and a non-existing person. At first, he keeps up his emotional barrier and he tells the ghost, “thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me (Shakespeare pg.103).”His guilt finally overrides his emotional barrier, and Macbeth starts to go insane. Once Macbeth stops suppressing his emotions, he becomes a madman. Killing Banquo pushed Macbeth into a mental state where all the guilt was felt. After killing Banquo, Macbeth goes on to do more actions based off his guilt and insanity caused by killing Banquo. The mental demise of Macbeth could perhaps been avoided had Macbeth not crossed the line by killing
Guilt surrounds Macbeth for the second time when he sends out the murderers to kill Banquo, his old friend. Macbeth had no other choice but to get rid of Banquo. Banquo had witnessed the three witches and the prophecies. One prophecy was that his son would become king one day "To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings"(Act3 scene1 line70). In order for Macbeth to be safe is to kill Banquo. Banquo may assume what had happened and tell the people of Scotland. "For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered; Put rancors in the vessel of my peace only for them, and mine eternal jewel".
Macbeth first encounters the three witches when he is returning to Scotland after defeating his enemy Macdonwald. The witches discuss with Macbeth and Banquo what they can expect in the future. "FIRST WITCH. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! / SECOND WITCH. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! / THIRD WITCH. All hail, Macbeth! That thou shalt be a king hereafter! (I.iii.48-50).
The witches caused much confusion throughout the play, to Macbeth and anyone associated with them. For instance, when the witches spoke to Banquo and Macbeth they said, Hail thee, thane of Glamis/ Hail thee, thee of Cawdor/ that shalt be king hereafter.” This statement was directed to Macbeth, but it very much confused him, as he was thane of Glamis, but not thane of Cawdor or certainly not king. Moments later he was to be crowned thane of Cawdor by King Duncan. The actions of King Duncan led Macbeth to believe he was going to become king. Lady Macbeth, when reading about Macbeth’s encounter with the witches, automatically devised a plan for Macbeth to become king. This plan involved killing the king, but to convince Macbeth that it was supposed to happen, she extremely criticized him and put him down on all thoughts. Her emasculation of him subjected him into thinking, killing the king was the only way to gain
The second malicious decision chosen by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth was to have Banquo and his sons killed. This would cancel out the possibility of Banquo's sons becoming kings. In Act III scene 1, Macbeth states that Banquo and his sons would be murdered by saying, "Banquo, thy soul's flight, if it find heaven, must find it out tonight." (p.91) The consequence of the decision to kill Banquo and his sons started when Macbeth felt more guilt and developed a worried conscience in the form of a vision of Banquo's ghost.
These are factors that contribute greatly to both protagonists’ downfall. Macbeth's guilt prevents him from fully enjoying his position as king. Macbeth's guilt begins to consume him, which starts the hallucinations and paranoia. Shakespeare emphasizes this when Macbeth hallucinates that Banquo is in his seat. “Re-enter GHOST OF BANQUO/: Avaunt! and quit my sight! let the earth hide thee!/:Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;/:Thou hast no speculation in those eyes/:Which thou dost glare with!”(3.4.94-98). It is obvious that the apparition of Banquo is the embodiment of Macbeth’s guilt, which is why he nearly reveals the truth about King Duncan’s murder. These hallucinations are all because of the burden of his guilt, which leads to his
Macbeth knows from even before he kills Duncan that Banquo’s loyalty lies with Duncan (2.1.26-28). Banquo suspects that Macbeth killed Duncan. (3. 1.1-4). Banquo suspicions of Macbeth seem to show later in the scene in lines 15-18. He says he is bound to serve the king, but this line in much colder than the interactions between Macbeth and Banquo in Acts One and Two. This possibly tipped Macbeth off to the fact that Banquo was doubting his loyalties. Also, Macbeth knows of the witches’ prophecy to Banquo that his descendants will be kings. (1.3.65-68). Macbeth fears that everything he has done will go to Banquo’s heirs even due to the fact Macbeth does not have children and the possibility of what the witches said coming true (3.1.63-64). Macbeth fears for his throne due to this prophecy and Banquo’s questionable loyalties. He decides he needs kill Banquo to ensure that he has absolute security in his throne and not allow Banquo’s heirs to inherit the throne without any
After murdering Duncan, Macbeth feels that he needs to kill Banquo. He is afraid that Banquo is going to be a problem for him. He is suspicious that Banquo believes Macbeth had something to do with Duncan's murder, "Our fears in Banquo/ Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature/ Reigns that which would be feared" (3.1.47-49). He plans to kill him, though Banquo has made no direct threat against Macbeth. He speaks of feeling inferior to Banquo, even though he is king. "There is none but he/ Whose being I do fear; and under him/ My genius is rebuked" (3.1.53-55). Banquo is Macbeth's closest friend, he is starting to lose trust in everyone around him.
We later find that Macbeth`s downfall was his ambition, but mostly for his ambition for the crown and for power. Banquo`s we later find was his trust; mostly in an old friend. He shows you this because in conflict you have to make a decision, and it’s not always the right one, but it is also what you do afterwards that can make or break you. We see this mostly with Macbeth as his ambition got him to the crown, but that was not enough for him, and what he did to get there made him paranoid to such an extreme that he kills anyone who seems to be in his way. The decisions that he made later on in the play is what made him truly evil because his first murder was pushed onto him, he was told to do it or he was a coward; that if he did not kill then he would not have respect from the love of his life. Macbeth had little choice after he slightly mentioned the plan to his wife; Lady Macbeth, although he did still do it, he felt bad and regretted it; as did Lady Macbeth. Again though Macbeth continued to kill, while lady Macbeth tried to stop: regrettable greed was her
Banquo, at the beginning of the play, was the conscience that Macbeth needed. In fact he was the only person who really tried to talk Macbeth out of anything bad like listening to the witches, or not killing Duncan. But later this was his downfall, since he was the only one against Macbeth who knew about everything he did. Thus making him a threat that needed to eliminate, so when Macbeth killed him it was like killing his conscience and best friend. Again, taking him towards the final step of his downfall. By killing his best friend it led all the happiness out of his life forever turning him towards a dark
The three men leading troops into battle against Duncan are the King of Norway, Macdonwald, and the Thane of Cawdor.
First, all four witch scenes are vital to form the tragic character flaw of the play and the role of the witches preform the inciting event that leads to the character Macbeth's destruction. The three weird sisters or three fates manipulate Macbeth onto his path of downhill destruction by prophesying “All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.50). After being told their omens, Macbeth later shortly realizes that their second omen of him becoming thane of Cawdor has come
The witches influence Macbeth in his achievements and awake his ambitions. They give him a wrong sense of security with their apportions of truths. The witches are the ones who made the idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth’s mind. They also told him that he would become thane of Cawdor and later would become king of Scotland and Macbeth wants to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more. By Sinel’s death I know I am the thane of Glamis; but how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman; and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor” (Shakespeare 312). Banquo is known as the real victim of the witches. After Banquo hears the prophecy of the witches that his sons will become kings he still does not believe them. He believes that he has eaten a root that is making him hallucinate and does not believe anything they tell him. (Shakespeare 313) Banquo says, “Are you sure we are talking about what we have seen here? Or have we eaten some plant root that makes us hallucinate.” Banquo also says to Macbeth: “but ‘tis strange; and oftentimes of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles. To betrays in deepest consequence” (Shakespeare 314). Shortly after they meet with the three witches they meet a messenger who tells Macbeth he is the Thane of Cawdor. When Banquo hears this he realizes the witches are right and
Macbeth began good and honorable. Despite all that he’d heard from the witches, he was disturbed at the very thought of committing evil for self gain. In a soliloquy, Macbeth even self reflects upon the reasons he shouldn’t kill Duncan, emphasizing each stage of Kohlberg's moral development theory in his pondering. In the end of it all though, he still chose murder. At this point deep regret and guilt took hold over him. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No: this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine / Making the green one red” (2.3.63-66). This quote shows that Macbeth’s ambition hadn’t completely eroded his conscience and moral code. He was immensely remorseful for what he’d done, believing that his hands would never be clean, that God had abandoned him and that he would be unable to sleep from the guilt. This moral standpoint only lasts for so long. When Macbeth eventually gains the power and status he sought he chooses to consolidate his power through violence. Despite the regret he had for killing Duncan, he still chooses violence as an answer to his problems, killing his best friend Banquo. Macbeth attempts to alleviate his guilt for this by not directly killing Banquo, but having hired murderers carry out his ambitions. After Banquo is done away with, Macbeth begins to operate on a more cold and ruthless code of ethics. He justifies his behavior by saying, “I am in blood / Stepp’d in so far that should I wade no more / Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (3.5.136-138). Believing that his soul is unredeemable at this point, he continues on his pursuit of power. He begins committing atrocities that are completely immoral, such as the murder of Macduff’s family. Macbeth kills these innocent people, to simply send a message, completing his transformation into a tyrannical monster. His ambition poisoned his principles
“Wash your hands, put on your nightgown; look not so pale.--I tell you yet again, Banquo 's buried; he cannot come out no’s grave ” (Act V; Scene 1) Banquo was murdered for a stupid reason, he did not do anything wrong to receive this pad punishment that he deserved. The king had no clue that this was about to happen to him, he just though it was a regular night. He was the king and someone else wanted the kingship; Lady Macbeth was going to kill for that spot. Murder is the most darkest and terrible crime that leads to more wrongful acts. “That death and nature do contend about them, whenever they live or die” (Act II; Scene II) nature has to do with two paths, one is light and the other is dark. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth choose the dark path; they had dark desires that led them to killing an innocent soul. Darkness over took them and they did the worst crime. If Macbeth did not listen to Lady Macbeth then he would have choose the path of light. They did not care about him at all, they just wanted to have the throne and be able to have the power to do as they please. They were willing to kill an innocent
The second appearance of the three witches is at the Scottish heath after the battle. (Macbeth: graphic novel, Macbeth Act I, Scene III, Macbeth 1961 movie) The three witches are there to meet Macbeth and add plot twists to the play. When the witches gather themselves, they hear and see Macbeth and Banquo coming from battle. The first real plot twist in the play is when the witches say one by one ‘All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis” “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!” “All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter!” (Macbeth: graphic novel, Macbeth Act I, Scene III, Macbeth 1961 movie) To Banquo though they say one by one in a riddle “lesser than Macbeth, and Greater.” “Not so happy, yet much happier.” “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: so all hail, Macbeth and Banquo” (Macbeth: graphic novel, Macbeth Act I, Scene III, M...