... for Banquo, telling the murderers that Banquo is his enemy, but he cannot kill Banquo openly. He says, " I could/ With brave-faced power sweep from my sight/ yet I must nit- Then, he arranges a time and place for the assassination, so there are no links or suspicions that may fall on him. Macbeth says, "I will advise you where to plant yourselves ... consoles himself that Fleance; Banquo's son is too young to do any harm to him. He wanted Fleance dead, as the witches said, "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none," to Banquo at the beginning of the play. This meaning that not Banquo b...

• Word Count: 3194
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School

... in battle. One reason for this is that he too is ambitious. If the prophecy has come true for Macbeth, he reasons, then perhaps it will too for him and he will father a line of kings. His inaction at this point results in his death. As Macbeth himself observes in Act 3, ... hereafter." The witches further escalate Macbeth"s greed by telling him that "thou shalt get kings, though be none." Macbeth's ambition leaves an opening for the witches to enter his fragile psyche, and this is very apparent when he proclaims that "If chance will have me king, why chance may crown ... Although he is...

• Word Count: 2918
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... by the ghost of Banquo, that he begins to panic and says things directed towards the ghost such as, "Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake/ Thy gory locks at me." (III.iv.64-65) All this commotion makes the guests of the banquet suspicious of something strange, since none of them can see the ghost. Lady Macbeth has to convince ... that occur in the play than Macbeth. When Macbeth first hears the witches prophecies, " All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be King hereafter" he does think of killing the king, but then he thinks he wont need to do anything about it: " If chance will have me kin...

• Word Count: 12917
• Approx Pages: 52
• Grade Level: High School

... obscure bird clamoured the livelong night: Some say the earth was feverous, and did shake." (Shakespeare, II.iii.49-56) These unfamiliar events show that nature has already reacted to the murderous deed. The weather's excessive reaction to the act exposes its evil: it is so evil that none of the characters has ever seen such horrible consequences. Lenox tells Macbeth that ... . On the other hand, there is Macbeth who wishes to be in the dark to be able to commit his evil acts: "Stars, hide your fires!/ Let not light see my black and deep desires" (I.iv.50-51). He then wants darkness to p...

• Word Count: 2650
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... him to kill the rest of Macduff's family. The second apparition is "a bloody child." The apparition moves on to declare; "The pow"r of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth." Macbeth becomes sure that no one can harm him as everyone he knows is of woman born. The third apparition, "a child ... she feels that Macbeth may not be evil enough to go through with the murder. The words which Lady Macbeth say after reading the letter suggest that there is an immediate change in her way of thinking. She calls on spirits to make her strong; "Hie thee hither, That I may pour my ... marche...

• Word Count: 3254
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School

... that knows of the witches" prophecies. He fears that Banquo may tell others about Macbeth's expectations of becoming King, and then suspicion of the murder would lie on him. Banquo agrees: "So I lose none In seeking to augment it, but still keep My bosom franchised, and allegiance clear, I shall be counselled." When Banquo leaves, Macbeth has a hallucination of a dagger, leading him to ... on the terrible weather and strange events of the night. "The night has been unruly. Where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down, and as they say Lamentings heard I" th" air, strange screams of death," ...

• Word Count: 2837
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School

... king at the time was James I. James I had a huge interest in witchcraft and demonology, because of this, the people at the time were also fascinated and wanted to know more. Between 1560 and 1603 over 16,000 people were convicted of being witches and were burned to death. These people were predominantly women but some were men. These weren't necessarily because of being witches but of being involved in ... for things like owning black cats, when washing clothes theirs came out cleaner, if you lived alone and wore black clothes then you put forward as being a witch. Macbeth was a popular...

• Word Count: 3066
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School