The Failure Of Banquo's Funeral In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

As Lady Macbeth receives the message from her husband claiming that he has earned the title of Thane of Cawdor she is very proud and grateful to have such a successful husband. “Glamis thou art… yet I do fear thy nature; it is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness… thou wouldest be great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it. What thou wouldest highly…” Although she is proud of him there is an undertone of doubt and belief that he could do more. She loves him undoubtedly and wants the best for him. When she asks of him to fulfill the strangest of deeds he contemplates “if we should fail?” They are a team, everything they plot they do together. They are honest and wholesome with each other. As they successfully gain the title of king and queen of Scotland, their relationship starts to hinder. They fight more frequently, almost growing out of the honeymoon state of marriage and into a business like attire. As the power and murders incline, all honesty is shot. Macbeth no longer tells Lady Macbeth of the innocent blood on his hands. This environment holds no hope for a relationship to last. The guilt and dishonesty between them separates them from even having a casual chat. They have become so consumed with what they have done that they have no room to remember each other. As Lady Macbeth kills herself, Macbeth just simply says, “She should have died hereafter. There would have been a time for such a word.” He looks at her dislodged

Macbeth's solution of killing his current problem finalizes his actions of immorality as well as his foil found in Banquo. Even after his death, Banquo is able to keep his integrity and use it to punish, or even remind, Macbeth of his moral supremacy. Banquo returns, as a ?horrible shadow,? to haunt Macbeth at a feast and successfully does so to the point of 'unreal mock'ry' (III.iv), certainly driving Macbeth?s darkness into a phase of decay, leading to further irrationality. This continued irrationality is the cause of yet another stockpile of dead bodies, revealing Macbeth?s inability to cope in his dark

After murdering King Duncan, Macbeth returns ashamed of what he had done and becomes weak and morose. Lady Macbeth remains as bold and cold-hearted as she was at the moment she plotted to kill the king, but it was obvious that it would only be a matter of time before all of that bravery faded away and guilt would overcome her. She realizes that Macbeth is at one of the lowest points of his life and tries to give him that same sense of boldness that she has as she tries to cover up his weaknesses. Macbeth had a lot on his conscience that shortly after Banquo had been killed, he believed he saw the ghost of who was once his friend. No one else sees this apparition but Macbeth speaks to it as if it was

At the beginning of the play, Macbeth’s character starts off as a loyal and brave soldier, who is admired by many people. Throughout the play, however, it is evident that his character and the personality of his character change a lot. There are many aspects that changed his character. What the witches said to him I think changed him the most. Before the witches spoke to him, he didn’t think of what it would be like to be king, or any of the other things, but because the first prediction came true, it led him to believe all the others would as well. The witches are what started him off thinking of how powerful he could become. Obviously his wife talked him into it, but without what the

“Then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself.” Macbeth notifies his wife that they will not be killing the king. “We will proceed no further in this business” he tells her.

This speech portrays Banquo’s new found reluctance towards the witch’s forecast of the future. He now sees what Macbeth is blind too, the possibility of knowledge becoming more harmful to the men rather than helpful in Macbeth’s want for more, particularly pertaining to him becoming King. As Macbeth begins to weigh the prophecy against logic and the now present, he accepts the fact that if “two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme.” Macbeth is now beginning to assume that if portions of the prophecy are being fulfilled as the witch’s had said, it is only a matter of time before he shall become king. As Macbeth continues to be engulfed by what will be his future downfall, he assumes that all of his new found

Audience becomes aware of Macbeth’s corruption when he plans to kill his ‘friend’, Banquo. He describes him as “dispatched” (3.4.15), and later as “safe” (3.4.25). This positions the audience to feel as though Macbeth is somewhat desperate to convince himself that he has acted appropriately despite using corrupt power. Using this stylistic device of language further demonstrates that Macbeth has now been corrupted to the extent that he longer feels compassion for his former companions. This ultimately establishes the representation that Macbeth’s illegitimate power has directly resulted in his destructive nature.

Left alone, Lady Macbeth reflects upon what has become of their lives since they murdered Duncan. In Act III Scene II, she says: ‘Noughts had, all’s spent/ Where our desire is got without content’. The Macbeths have gained nothing and lost everything, she feels, in killing Duncan. Having achieved their ambition by way of murder they must now live in doubt and fear. Lady Macbeth says that they would feel safer if they were dead like Duncan. The Macbeth’s lives do not revolve around each other anymore; they are constantly being pursued by feelings of guilt, fear and worry.

Near the end of the play Macbeths true evilness comes out. Macbeth paranoia leads him to believe that everyone is out to get him. “ So is he mine, and in such bloody distance that every minute of his thrusts against my hear’st life” (3.1 128-130) Macbeth grows suspicious of Banquo. The witch’s predictions of Banquo’s kids becoming king engulfed all thoughts in Macbeth’s head. “I’ll make assurance double sure.” (4.1 93) Macbeth is making sure Banquo and his son fleance are murdered. Macbeth felt the it was best to hire murders to handle fleance and Banquo. Macbeth is overcome with evil. “From this moment the very firstling of my heart shall be the firstling of my mind” (4.1 165-168) Macbeth’s mind no

When Macbeth is greeted by his wife she wants to tempt him into going ahead with her plans. He does not want to commit regicide against the king so disregards her ideas, but Macbeth’s ambitions and desires get the better of him and he eventually agrees.

Lady Macbeth rises and then tells everyone that no the king is fine. That he has always done this even since he was young. Lady Macbeth then tells Macbeth he needs to get it together. Lady Macbeth says “ This is the very painting of your fear: This is the air- drawn dagger which, you said, Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws and starts, Impostors to true fear, would well become A woman’s story at a winter’s fire,Authorized by he grandam. Shame itself! Why do such faces? When all’s done, You look but on a stool (3.4.61-68). Macbeth then tells her you can’t say anything either you was involved in how we got he just as much as me. Banquo’s ghost then vanishes and Macbeth starts to calm down. Then Macbeth reassures the people this happens all the time that it is no big deal and right when everything is about to go back to normal. Banquo’s ghost comes back and Macbeth is thinking why shall you curse

Macbeth’s sense of self seems to diminish as he comes to reality with what he has done and who he has hurt. This leads to him to not being able to sleep because he has “murdered and therefore/Cawdor/Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more” (2.2.55-57). By him not sleeping it shows that he is going crazy, and is not ok with what has happened. Losing his sense of self is also slowly killing his mental state. His conscience is guilty which makes him think less of himself. When Banquo’s ghost appears it makes Macbeth feel as if he were dead. Wanting Banquo to “Take any shape but that,” because he wants him to “be alive again/And dare [him] to the desert with thy sword” (3.4.124-126). When Macbeth’s fears are confirmed about the line of kings all in the image of Banquo his future is shaken. Once being trusted friends this also helps to twist his mental state; and not for the good. Also by him not being stable Macbeth starts hallucinating and feels tempted to grasp what he sees and use it. These visions are a

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.

This whole ceremony was a disaster that will lead to Macbeth’s fall my lord. Things were said and done at this event that no one thane should have seen or heard. Once we left the banquet you could hear the rumors on the street about the king, how he had gone mad, but those who were knowledgeable, began to think about the things that had happened and began to ask questions about the resent murders.

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