In the play "Macbeth," Macbeth is mainly responsible for his own demise, with Lady Macbeth and the three witches sharing some of the guilt. Since we witness Lady Macbeth and the three witches influencing Macbeth because of his intrinsic propensity to succumbing to the influences of others. The genre of tragedy is a main theme while exploring the responsibility of Macbeth’s downfall as it was never Macbeth’s fault that the witched entered his life and left him delusional but because they did, it influenced Macbeth into doing awful things, also relating his own hamartia. In the play, when Macbeth sees the three witches with Banquo, you will witness the brave soldier on the battlefield change into a soldier who is giving in to evil forces starting …show more content…
"Good gentleman, why do you begin and appear to be afraid of/ Things that appear to be so fair?" Banquo asks, noticing Macbeth's rapid alteration. He doesn't seem to understand why Macbeth should be afraid, given the prophesies of all three witches appear to be true and good. While Banquo acts nonchalant by the witches, Macbeth is terrified by the third prophesy of the witches; Banquo serves as Macbeth's foil because of the way he deals with a situation that foreshadows who will rule in the near future. We must assume that when Macbeth analyzes the options, he will have to make in order to fulfill the 'fair' prophecies, he feels he will have to commit awful sins. Macbeth endorses this viewpoint when he asks whether the witches vanished "into thin air." This might be interpreted as Macbeth's allegiance to the king having disappeared into thin air, implying that everything he considered to be true has dissipated. This causes Macbeth to be deeply troubled by the witches' remarks, and he appears unconcerned about what Banquo says. As a result, we can see that he will always be drawn to evil influences such as the witches above good ones, such as Banquo's, causing him to be responsible for his own demise. Shakespeare felt compelled to include witches because it demonstrates that anybody who engages in witchcraft will only harm the people of the …show more content…
"Is this a dagger I see before me?" Macbeth asks in Act 2 Scene 1. He is hallucinating and sees a bloodied dagger in the air, which is his weapon of choice for assassinating the King. This dramatic device conveys Macbeth's sense of guilt. His head is filled with evil thoughts, visions of blood and the fear of the unknown torture him. Surprisingly, although we may assume that the supernatural is simply a psychological force that influences and opposes Macbeth throughout the play, many people during James' reign took witches and the supernatural quite seriously. As a result, Macbeth's relationship with the supernatural would have been far more terrifying to the common person. Furthermore, Macbeth is hallucinating when he says in Act 3 Scene 4 that the "table's full" because he sees Banquo's ghost sitting in a banquet chair. Banquo's spirit can only be seen by Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and the nobility, which is a theatrical irony. According to stage directions, Banquo's ghost "sits in Macbeth's seat" and "smiles." This suggests that Macbeth's conscience has returned, putting him on the path to his own demise. Since he has witnessed so many strange events and atrocities, Macbeth believes he can no longer be terrified.
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence” Here, Banquo starts to catch on to the fact that the witches may be trying to trick them into darkness by telling them this information, something Macbeth had yet to realize, which ended up in his
The rise in paranoia and insomnia leads to further problems. Macbeth feels the irrational need to cover up his tracks, and the only witness he cold suspect is Banquo. His impression of Banquo is that he has the qualities of a king, which make Macbeth anxious and jealous, “Our fears in Banquo/ Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature/ Reigns that which would be fear’d" (3.1.53-55). In fear of his own sovereignty, Macbeth quickly becomes apprehensive of Banquo’s prophecy of him being the father to forthcoming kings, “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” (1.3.70). Furthermore, it convinces him into believing that Banquo is a threatening enemy, and he can only be safe if Banquo is killed.
Our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature” (Act 3. Scene1. Lines 47-49. Page44). To Macbeth, becoming king is worthless unless his position as king is safe. He fears that Banquo’s murder will be revenged by his own murder, and it may reveal the hidden knowledge of his guilt.
Macbeth's fears about Banquo run deep, and he sees him as a threat to his position as king. He describes Banquo's "royalty of nature," which he sees as something to be feared. Macbeth acknowledges
Macbeth’s fear is so intense that he does not know if he is touching the dagger or if it is a figment of his imagination. Alternately, he may wish what he is seeing is false because he knows his
Macbeth is so gullible that believed that he would become king just by what a few witches said. He also believed he could never be defeated because they predicted he would only be brought down by someone who was not born of woman. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo enter after the witches dance in a circle and say a chant. When Banquo sees the witches he says that they look strange
Macbeth attempts to banish the ghost from his presence. This vision of Banquo's ghost could be interpreted as a foreshadowing of Macbeth's impending death. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
In fact, Macbeth becomes fascinated by them, "would they had stayed." Banquo serves as his conscience, perhaps representing the period audience who would have also thought the witches to be evil and unnatural, and warns him of the dangers of trusting such supernatural messengers; a warning that goes unheeded. After hearing the prophecy, Macbeth already thinks about, "murder," and becomes preoccupied with thoughts of becoming king showing the powerful hold they have over him with only one meeting, scaring the audience who would have believed in Witches. Macbeth believes the Witches as there first prophecy came true and ignores the fact that they’re evil beings whereas Banquo recognizes them for what they are. He even informs his most beloved, Lady Macbeth, who also shares his ambition.
In the story, Macbeth becomes nervous that Banquo will over power him. “But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature Reigns that which would be feared. ' Tis much he dares, And to that dauntless temper of his mind To act in safety. There is none but he Whose being I do fear.”
This points out that the Witches are adept at using indirectness and half-truths to deceive Macbeth. There prophecies, which can be open to interpretation, lead him into making fatal assumptions. Showing irony again, even Banqo acknowledges the Witches' use of honest trifles, and their ultimate goal of betraying and leading them to deal with the consequences. Thus, while Macbeth played a role in his own demise, the witches are accountable for the tragedies that took
(3.1.9-10). This means that Banquo will not act upon what the witches are telling him. What the witches are telling Macbeth would also never be coming true if he hadn’t acted upon it. As Banquo puts it in the play, “The instruments of darkness tell us truths,/Win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s/ In deepest consequence.”
To begin, Banquo is along with Macbeth when Macbeth’s prophecies. Banquo’s existence at that scene already became a threat to Macbeth because firstly, Banquo asks for his prophecies and secondly, Banquo knows about macbeth’s prophecies. Since Banquo is called to be the ‘father of a king’, Macbeth begins to fear in which he is fear of Banquo’s children taking over his power. When Macbeth is fearful of Banquo and says ‘to be thus is nothing./ But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo/ Stick deep and his royalty of nature/...when first they put the name of king upon me/
In the first meeting with the witches; where Macbeth is prophesied to become the Thane of Cawdor and finally king. Banquo, whom had also been prophesized to become the father of many kings, comes to a realisation that “the instruments of darkness tell us truths; win us with honest trifles, to betray in deepest consequence”. By saying this, Banquo believes that the witches will earn Banquo and Macbeth’s trust by telling them truth about little things, but if the witches decide to betray the two men, it may leave a devastating effect. Nevertheless, in contrast to Banquo’s skepticism regarding the witches, Macbeth desires to know more, “stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more”, and the idea of becoming king now occurs to him as a possibility. This suggests that Macbeth already has a deep desire for power and status; although, at this point, Macbeth is “too full o’th’milk of human kindness”, to commit himself to this immoral act of murdering the innocent
His capricious and malicious acts prove how naive and vile he is as a person. Macbeth even attempts to kill Banquo to prevent any trace of his nature from making him, a “fruitless crown.” Macbeth states, “Must lave or honors in the flattering streams, and make our face vizards to our heart, disguising who we are,”(3.2.45). With such desperation, Macbeth is willing to include other people in his premeditated murder. By having Lady Macbeth be part of his plot to kill Banquo, Macbeth reveals two things about himself: That he does not value those around him, even if they are his loved ones, and that he places his personal success over all aspects of his life.
Unlike Macbeth, Banquo, from the beginning of this encounter, continues to doubt the witches, “I’th’name of truth are ye fantastical, or that indeed which outwardly ye show?” (1.3.51-52) Banquo didn’t believe what the witches were saying, he questions their intentions and accuses them of raising Macbeth’s hope. Throughout this whole encounter, Banquo continues to protect Macbeth while staying loyal. He never once acted on his prophecies, he simply disregarded what the witches were saying and remained the noble man he is. Even to his death, Banquo has not once acted without honour and