Why is banquo in conflict with macbeth

SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Are the Witches in Macbeth real? Did Macbeth always want to be king? Why does Macbeth think the Witches want to help him? Does Lady Macbeth commit suicide? How did Birnam Wood move and why was Macduff able to kill Macbeth? What convinces Macbeth that the Witches' prophecy is true? Why does Banquo not trust the Witches? Why does Macbeth believe he needs to kill King Duncan?

Why does Macbeth kill King Duncan's two chamberlains? Why does Macbeth kill Banquo? How does Lady Macbeth's death affect Macbeth? What convinces Macbeth that he is invincible over Macduff's army?

In the first scene, audiences hear about the bloody conflict that resulted from the rebellion led by the Thane of Cawdor. The conflict is initiated when Macbeth encounters the witches who prophesize that he will become first the Thane of Cawdor, and then the King of Scotland. As soon as he learns that their first prophecy has come true, he is awakened to the possibility of the second also being realized.

In a crucial turning point in the play, Macbeth is faced with a choice: to take decisive action to claim the crown as his own, or to simply wait and see what happens. Every choice he makes, and every thing that happens for the rest of the play stem from his decision here.

The tension between duty and ambition sharpens when Lady Macbeth learns of the prophecy that her husband will become king, and immediately begins strategizing ways to bring about the fulfillment of the prophecy. Now Macbeth is torn between loyalty to Duncan and loyalty to his wife, who does not appear to feel any shame, doubt, or remorse about the dark act she is plotting. The audience has the sense that Lady Macbeth may have been longing for just such an opportunity where she can put her intelligence and strategic ability to good use.

This initial conflict over whether or not he can kill his king, which exists both between Macbeth and himself and between Macbeth and his wife, is resolved when Macbeth acts, murdering Duncan and then seizing power after the more obvious heirs flee in fear of being accused of the crime.

After the murder, the conflict resides primarily in the opposition between Macbeth and the individuals who mistrust his power and how he got it. Having damned himself by killing Duncan, Macbeth will stop at nothing to hold on to his power. At the start of Act 3, the audience learns that Banquo is suspicious of whether Macbeth may have achieved power through nefarious means.

Both Macbeth and his wife have changed: Macbeth, formerly hesitant, is now completely firm and decisive, and Lady Macbeth, formerly impatient and bloodthirsty, now thinks it would be fine to leave matters well enough alone. The murder of Banquo furthers heightens the conflict.

Macbeth is clearly a tyrannical figure, and the plot will revolve around him being removed from power and punished for his crimes. The expository speech between Lennox and the lord in Act 3, Scene 6 clarifies that political loyalties have shifted and that Macbeth is now viewed as a usurper who needs to be deposed.

A positive outcome becomes impossible for Macbeth as he gradually loses his authority, power, and eventually his wife. While the audience has long understood that the witches are untrustworthy and up to no good, Macbeth only realizes this fact when facing his own death. Although he blames the witches, his own ambition is equally to blame. He heard what he wanted to hear and believed what he wanted to believe from the first moment he met the witches.

Yet Macbeth is not entirely unsympathetic, as he had several powerful forces inciting him to action, and for a long time truly believed he was following his fate. His death resolves the political and social conflict, since the legitimate king can now return to power and restore order to Scotland. Ace your assignments with our guide to Macbeth!