Malcolm and Macduff lead an army against Macbeth, as Lady Macbeth goes mad and commits suicide.Macbeth confronts Malcolm’s army, trusting in the Weïrd Sisters’ comforting promises. Macbeth has Macduff’s wife and children murdered. They comfort him with ambiguous promises.Another nobleman, Macduff, rides to England to join Duncan’s older son, Malcolm. Macbeth determines to consult the Weïrd Sisters again. At a royal banquet that evening, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost appear covered in blood. Fearing that Banquo’s descendants will, according to the Weïrd Sisters’ predictions, take over the kingdom, Macbeth has Banquo killed. When Macbeth arrives at his castle, he and Lady Macbeth plot to assassinate King Duncan, soon to be their guest, so that Macbeth can become king.After Macbeth murders Duncan, the king’s two sons flee, and Macbeth is crowned. Three “Weïrd Sisters” appear to Macbeth and his comrade Banquo after a battle and prophesy that Macbeth will be king and that the descendants of Banquo will also reign. Entire Play Macbeth, set primarily in Scotland, mixes witchcraft, prophecy, and murder.Start your subscription to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. As the play progresses, Macbeth continues to place his faith in the Three Witches and ends up assassinating King Duncan. Macbeth also lacks perspective and is significantly less discerning than Banquo. The fact that Macbeth entertains the idea of committing regicide emphasizes his ambitious nature, which is his character flaw. If good, why do I yield to that suggestionĪnd make my seated heart knock at my ribs,Īre less than horrible imaginings. In contrast, Macbeth does not question the witches’ intentions and reveals his ambitious nature in an aside by saying,Ĭommencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor. He entertains the idea that the witches could be “instruments of darkness” and does not overreact to their prophecies. Unlike Macbeth, he is less likely to accept the witches’ prophecies at face value and does not fully trust them. The instruments of darkness tell us truths,īanquo’s response reflects his discerning, cautious nature. Macbeth then asks Banquo if he is thrilled that his descendants will be kings and Banquo responds by saying, Macbeth is surprised and excited by the news and believes that the best is yet to come. Shortly after the Three Witches disappear, Ross and Angus arrive and inform Macbeth that he has been given the title Thane of Cawdor.
Banquo then requests that they offer him a prophecy and the witches tell Banquo that he is “lesser than Macbeth and greater” and that his descendants will be kings, even though he will not be one. The Three Witches call Macbeth the Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and future king of Scotland, which is astonishing and perplexing to Macbeth. In act one, scene three, the Three Witches meet Macbeth and Banquo on the heath and proceed to give them favorable prophecies.
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