Why did macbeth kill banquo

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In William Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is a noble warrior who had to kill the king, Duncan, in order to take the crown due to prophecies he was told by the witches. After the murder many people were suspicious of Macbeth including his friend Banquo. Macbeth knows the prophecy of Banquo as well, he shall be father of kings, and since Macbeth is king he has to do something about that. He hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. The audience is supposed to accept Banquo's ghost as a fantasy representing Macbeth's guilty conscience. Macbeth hires two murderers initially, but a third one shows up when the murder is actually happening to help out.

Why did macbeth kill banquo

It is argued whether or not Banquo should come back as a ghost to haunt Macbeth. At the beginning Macbeth appears initially to be a brave and honorable man, but once he meets the witches he is very ambitious and prone to self-doubt. He is too ambitious to allow his conscience to stop him from murdering his way to the top. He already had status and power at the beginning of the play; he had a castle, land and wealth. And he has also proven himself on the battlefield and has the respect of the King and his peers. Macbeth is also being rewarded richly. In the Elizabethan time, which was in the period in which Macbeth is taken place, people truly believed in witches and their evil supernatural powers. Macbeth was the person to blame, in the play, because of his strong connection to the witches, writes to his wife for motivation, and. The three witches delivered a prophecy to Macbeth, which ultimately changed his future. Lady Macbeth impacted Macbeth and the choices he made significantly. She had the power to weaken him, which made Macbeth demolish anything that stood in the way of him becoming king. While on his journey, Macbeth made many decisions that eventually resulted in him destroying.

Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial. He chooses to do this even after the effect of the first murder he did. Complete Purchase.

The reason Macbeth kills his friend Banquo is because Macbeth is afraid the second part of the prophecy will come true. The prophecy was spoken by the three witches came true so far, seeing as Macbeth became King of Denmark after killing King Duncan. He is also afraid Banquo will find out that he is the one that kills King Duncan because the prophecy claims that Macbeth will be King of Denmark. It might also be that he is afraid that Banquo would assicaint him so his son could become king because the prophecy says the Banquo will not be king but his sons will. So he kills his friend Banquo because the second part of the prophecy says something like, Macbeth will be king, but no sons taking his place. Banquo will not be king but will bare sons that will. He sees a threat in Banquo and Fleance, …show more content….

In the play, he is at first an ally of Macbeth both are generals in the King's army and they meet the Three Witches together. After prophesying that Macbeth will become king, the witches tell Banquo that he will not be king himself, but that his descendants will be. Later, Macbeth in his lust for power sees Banquo as a threat and has him murdered by three hired assassins; Banquo's son, Fleance , escapes. Banquo's ghost returns in a later scene, causing Macbeth to react with alarm in public during a feast. Shakespeare borrowed the character Banquo from Holinshed's Chronicles , a history of Britain published by Raphael Holinshed in In Chronicles , Banquo is an accomplice to Macbeth in the murder of the king, rather than a loyal subject of the king who is seen as an enemy by Macbeth.

Why did macbeth kill banquo

In this scene, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth host a banquet for the Scottish thanes. A murderer tells Macbeth that he has been successful in killing Banquo, but that Fleance escaped. During the banquet, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting at his place at the table. He is horrified. Lady Macbeth reassures the guests that it is a momentary fit and tells Macbeth to stop.

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Your Free Trial Starts Now! Password Your password must: Be between characters. Macbeth and Banquo are connected spiritually because Banquo was with Macbeth as the three witches told him his prophecy. From murders and endless lies, to carelessness towards the safety of people and buildings. Macbeth then sees Banquo's ghost in one of the chairs at the table: "Thou canst not say I did it. Macbeth fears the murder of Banquo will be avenged by his death. Macbeth is guilty about killing his friend Banquo and is therefore losing his mind by seeing visions of his ghost when it is really not there at all. Lady Macbeth impacted Macbeth and the choices he made significantly. Free trial is available to new customers only. SparkNotes Plus. The motive of a foil in a book is to bring attention to the imperfections of a main character and present an idea of the main character had they not had any of these flaws. Macbeth tells the murderers that since him and Banquo have the same friends Macbeth cannot use his powers to execute Banquo, because people will overthrow Macbeth if they find out Macbeth to be the. Through his attendant, Macbeth summons three murderers.

Macbeth Please see the bottom of the page for full explanatory notes and helpful resources. I must become a borrower of the night. To be thus is nothing; Soliloquy Analysis.

Group Discount. What convinces Macbeth that he is invincible over Macduff's army? Password Your password must: Be between characters. Ace your assignments with our guide to Macbeth! He sees the ghost and starts speaking to it, while the others are watching. And he has also proven himself on the battlefield and has the respect of the King and his peers. This is due to the fact that unlike Macbeth, he remained true to his reputation until his death. He already had status and power at the beginning of the play; he had a castle, land and wealth. Throughout the tragedy of Macbeth, many of the choices that were made were questionable as to whether or not they were destined to happen, or if the influence of outside forces played a role in the decision making process. Choose Your Plan. Macbeth did not secure the title of king by being the heir to a dying king. How does Lady Macbeth's death affect Macbeth? How does the Witches' prophecy about Banquo come true? Though the people believed in magic, they were convinced these powers stemmed from the devil. Macbeth is also being rewarded richly.