Power has the ability to devour morality. In the play "The Tragedy of Macbeth", the author, Shakespeare, places the characters in certain types of situations that allow greed to cloud their judgement. The prophecy holds the most power to influence the actions of others because it plants the idea of how the future will be in everyone's heads. Macbeth makes his decisions based on what he thinks is going to happen, without any concrete proof that it will actually come true. Words have a way of getting under people's skin and burrowing in their bones. There's no telling what someone will do when they receive life changing news. In Macbeth's case, he uses this prophecy to mindlessly justify the murders of King Duncan, Banquo, Macduff's family, and countless others. All the while, he strives to become king and attempts to stay that way by disregarding everyone around him. It …show more content…
Macbeth has the desire to get rid of all the opponents that stand in his way so he can ensure he stays on the throne. During the first meeting with the Weird Sisters, they tell Banquo, "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none" (I. iii. 67). Macbeth knows that Banquo's children will someday become kings -so says the prophecy- and it pushes Macbeth to eliminate Banquo. If the witches hadn't said anything about Banquo, he probably would have lived because Macbeth wouldn't have seen him as a threat. Macbeth admits, "That every minute of his being thrusts/ Against my near'st of life" (III. i. 116-17). Banquo's existence threatens Macbeth's life and his position of being king. The prophecy's words urge him to plan out how to murder Banquo and his son, Fleance. Ultimately, the murderers successfully kill Banquo but his son manages to get away. And yet Banquo’s dying last words to Fleance was a declaration to avenge him, for Banquo knew that the greed for power had already corrupted