Similarities Between Macbeth And Banquo

Macbeth and Banquo visit the three witches, who prophesize that Macbeth would become the new King of Scotland and that Banquo would be the father of many future kings, after Macbeth's rule. Soon after Lady Macbeth hears of this prophecy, she continuously urges Macbeth, once Duncan’s loyal and virtuous general, to take his rightful place on the throne. Macbeth finally gives in, and barbarically kills his unsuspecting king. Not too long after the murder of Scotland’s king, the fear of Banquo’s progeny taking his place eats away at Macbeth's feeling of power. So with less reluctance and thought, Macbeth follows through with yet another murder — the murder of his best friend, Banquo. In a conversation with his wife, before this atrocious murder, Macbeth makes the observation that once a person does one bad thing, it becomes easier to commit more, worse actions.

The downward spiral in a person’s life always starts with just one wrong turn — a simple mistake.

Whether it’s the five-year-old lying that white lie, the middle schooler taking a puff of his first cigarette, or the newly-licensed 17-year-old having that second beer and driving home, these presumably trivial mistakes start to pile up. At the time, the kid might think that they’re just having fun with their friends, but eventually, these first attempts could turn into addictions. Addictions that ultimately change that seemingly innocent five-year-old into the abusive father of children who hate him, and could someday even turn into him. Even such a drastic change in a person’s life, however, is just the minimum of how much the very core of who a person is can completely change through a single

fault.
Following through on that first wrongdoing is always the most difficult. When our friends pressure us to take that first shot to “have a good time”, our first instinct is to say no, as our parents have taught us. But after sitting in the corner of the room, watching our friends have the time of their lives, we finally give in, thinking “how bad could this really be”. Then the next time we’re at a party, we’re the ones convincing our new friend to take a drink. The cycle continues — from bad to worse. Lady Macbeth persistently persuades Macbeth to kill Duncan, but deep down he knows that Duncan is an honorable king, who does not deserve to be murdered. But after much persuasion, Macbeth decides that securing the crown is more important than staying loyal to his king. Although he is consumed with guilt at committing one of the worst crimes possible, Macbeth experiences a change in character as he shamelessly decides to murder a lifelong friend. It’s like a speeding car spiraling down a mountain, without brakes, it plunges into the abyss.