How Does Macbeth Kill Banquo?

Even though Banquo assures Macbeth of his loyalty, Macbeth’s paranoia takes control of him and makes him see Banquo as a threat to his rule since Banquo was the only other person to witness the witches’ prophecy (Moyer, 2015, p. 35). Moreover, the part of the prophecy that states that Banquo “shalt get kings” (Shakespeare, 1606, Act 1, Scene 3, Line 69) further ignites Macbeth’s paranoia. By killing Banquo, Macbeth is cast in stark contrast to Duncan, who acknowledged his people’s loyalty and rewarded them instead of killing them for fear of losing his

He realizes that if he want to start his own dynasty, then he will have to have control of all the variables. Then Macbeth began to think, “For Banquo’s issues have I filed my mind;/ For them the gracious Duncan I have murdered” (Shakespeare 85). He realizes that he has set himself up to fail. He is cleared a path to the crown for Banquo’s kin. Macbeth goes on to state, “He chid the sisters/ When first they put the name of king upon me” (Shakespeare 85). This give the readers the thought that Banquo is jealous of the king. Macbeth, not wanting to risk his crown, calls for some outside murderers. As I stated earlier, Macbeth knew he must get rid of Banquo and his sons. He succeeds in having Banquo killed, but Banquo’s son, Fleance (the one person Macbeth needed to kill), escapes.

After he had attained his destiny, Macbeth felt that Banquo would become a serious threat. He did not like the fact that Banquo was destined to be a father to a whole line of kings. "Our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared...If `t be so, for Banquo's issue have I filed my mind; for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered..."(85). The path Macbeth chooses to take in order to stay at the throne was to have Banquo killed. But, Macbeth was never destined to kill anyone. Killing Duncan, Banquo and Macduff's whole household were all his decisions to attain his destiny.

After everyone has found out that the king is dead Banquo suspects Macbeth of doing something to make the witches predictions that they ways saying to become true. At that time Macbeth is king so he turns on his best friend Banquo and has him and all of his family including Fleance killed because he was the only person there when the predictions of Macbeth becoming king and also the witches said that Banquos son Fleance would become king too. So this shows that that Macbeth is getting over protective of his crown to the throne so he will do anything to stop people becoming king. So he will kill he’s best friend and his family only because the three withes said that predictions of Macbeth becoming king. So Macbeth is going into a downward spiral towards great darkness and becoming ever more evil from every action he makes and does to protect the crown.

The witches prophecies and Lady Macbeth’s influence intensifies his ambition and drives Macbeth to obtain and maintain his title of Scotland by whatever means, even murdering his best friend, Banquo. “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, ...no son of mine succeeding. If’t be so, for Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; For them the gracious Duncan I have murder’d; ...To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! (Act III. sc.I) At this point Macbeth’s passion becomes more and more extreme to the point where no one stands in his way. His greed, violence, and hunger for power drastically declines his

After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth is titled the King of Scotland. Having Macbeth murder Duncan to become King makes it seem to Macbeth that he can control his own fate. This only makes it worse for Macbeth, because it is now engraved in his mind that murder can change fate. Now that Duncan is taken care of, it is Banquo that Macbeth is worried about, for Macbeth is convinced that Banquo knows too much because he was the only other person with him when the witches prophesized his fate. It’s not only Banquo that Macbeth wants to murder, he also wants to change the prophecy of Banquo’s descendants becoming Kings by murdering them as well, as he states “To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!;/ Rather than so, come fate into the list,;/ And champion me to th’ utterance.” (III, I, 70-73). This line directly shows that Macbeth now thinks he is in control, and that he can challenge fate by murdering the sons of Banquo to change what the witch’s prophesized for the descendants of Banquo to become kings.

Before killing Duncan, it is Macbeth’s insecurity that led him to being persuaded into ultimately killing Duncan. Lady Macbeth influenced him, but he was also ratified on the idea that she is right and that if he does not act fast, he may never get the throne. The announcement of Malcolm (Duncan’s son) to be the one to succeed Duncan as King led to Macbeth becoming more worried and he claims, “It is a step/On which [he] must fall down or else o'erleap,/For in [his] way it lies.” (Act 1, Scene 4) Macbeth was also very insecure and anxious after the killing of Duncan, as there were many people who challenged his authority. His blind ambition once again overpowered him and due to his insecurities about certain people, he was persuaded to kill those who came in his way of becoming King, and he did not pay attention to the consequences that may result from his acts. Macbeth was so fortified in becoming king that he even killed his good friend Banquo. This is because Banquo, being the only one besides Lady Macbeth to know about the prophecies, may suspect Macbeth of the crimes he has committed, and may just hold suspicion in general against him. Therefore Macbeth plots the assassination of Banquo by hiring murderers, and this is evident when Macbeth says, “Fleance, his son, that keeps him company, whose absence is no less material to me than is his

Macbeth views Banquo as a threat and rival to his becoming King. He decided that it was necessary to take action. Macbeth hired murderers to kill Banquo. The murderers killed

This made Macbeth very frustrated, and he was willing to risk everything to become King. However, none of his offspring or other family members would ever wear the crown after his death. “Only for them; and mine eternal jewel / Given to the common enemy of man, / To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings!” (3.1. 67-69). Here, Macbeth realizes that if nothing is done to Banquo, his sons will take over the crown and become Kings. Macbeth realizes that he must take action.

(III: i: 58-74) After becoming king, Macbeth starts to think about what the witches said to Banquo and he starts to fear that something might happen to him. By believing so, Macbeth feels that it is necessary to kill Banquo in order to keep the throne. He even states that he fears Banquo and that if his children became kings, everything he did would have been a waste. By killing Banquo, Macbeth then faces the consequences for his actions and starts to suffer due to that. After going out with his plan to kill Banquo, Macbeth then starts to hallucinate.

Macbeth becomes dangerously ambitious to be crowned king and keep that, rather than having a son of Banquo take it away from him. The first action that he executed to reach his goal was the killing of King Duncan. Even though this may not be directly connected to the overall conviction of Banquo’s murder, it was the source of an evil chain reaction. For example, Macbeth states that he killed Duncan’s guard in the name of love and passion for the king (2.3.116). This can be reasonably inferred to be a lie as an attempt to cover up the initial lie concerning King Duncan’s murder.

Macbeth Act III Questions Banquo is very suspicious about Macbeth’s crime. He has started to realize that the way in which Macbeth became king seemed sudden, and that “thou play'dst most foully for it” (81.3.III). He finds it odd that all of the witches’ prophecies came true, and it is these thoughts that make us think that Banquo knows that Macbeth was the cause of King Duncan’s death. When Macbeth says this line, he is referring to the fact that even though he has become king by killing King Duncan, he is ultimately unsafe in his position.

Macbeth took in two murderers and convinced them that Banquo is the one who needs to be gotten rid of. They look up to him as their king so they follow his instructions and kill Banquo that night, with the help of Seyton who never disobeys what Macbeth says. It is clear that Macbeth is at a point of no recovery when he truly believes that it is justified to kill his own friend in order to keep his own bloodline in

After killing King Duncan , Macbeth is starting to realize what it is that he has done, and becomes suspicious and paranoid of everyone around him by puting spy's in every castle and killing those who are any treat to him what so ever. Banquo is the only other person who knows of the meeting with the witches and he would assume that it was Macbeth who killed the King. The witches also said that Banquo would beget kings but he himself would never be king after Macbeth, and so Macbeth decides that Banquo is a threat to him. To get rid of the treat with banquo he decides to kill him and his son Fleance.

After Macbeth and Banquo receive prophecies, the foil characters start to diverge as Banquo’s takes the moral path of goodness while Macbeth takes the immoral path towards his ultimate decline. Banquo and Macbeth have the opportunity to pursue the same path, but because of his unchecked ambition, Macbeth deviates from Banquo's path of good morals. Immediately after the witches tell their prophecies, Banquo’s mindset is wary and rational. He warns Macbeth that, “oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / the instruments of darkness tell us truths...” (1.3.125-126). Banquo is not obsessed with the prophecies and the idea that one day his ancestors will be kings. On the other hand, Macbeth speculates, “Two truths are told, / as happy prologues to the swelling act / of the imperial theme.” (1.3.130-132) Because two of the three prophecies have come true, Macbeth is blinded by his ambition and seems to fantasize about the idea of being king. These contrasting reactions show that Macbeth takes a