Macbeth V. Banquo – Same Crime, Different Circumstance

Micaela Meadows

Shakespeare Essay No. 1

February 27, 2015                                

Macbeth v. Banquo – Same Crime, Different Circumstance

For as long as man has walked the earth, there has been a struggle for power – individuals attempting to usurp one another in order to further his or her own agenda, be it political power, wealth, or the good of the people.  Because of this, the act of murdering those in power runs through the course of history like blood through a vein.  In two of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, Macbeth and Julius Caesar, Shakespeare illustrates the influence of power on the acts of individuals, and the outcomes of that influence through the acts of Macbeth and Marcus Brutus.  Although both Macbeth and Brutus commit the same crime of killing a leader and a friend, the similarities between the crimes stop there; while Macbeth is indecisive and kills out of ambition and a thirst for security of power, leading to a fall from grace, Brutus kills only out of love for country, and does so with conviction, ultimately upholding him as an outstanding and admirable man.

In Macbeth, Macbeth develops from an admirable man into a power-hungry thane-turned-king who acts purely based on his own ambition.  At the very beginning of the play, King Duncan, a captain, and the Thane of Ross discuss Macbeth and Banquo’s triumphs in battle.  The conversation ends with Duncan awarding Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor, saying, “What he [the Thane of Cawdor] hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won” (Macbeth I.ii.78).  This is the reader’s first introduction to Macbeth’s character.  By having the king of all people call Macbeth “noble,” Shakespeare is making a powerful statement to his audience that Macbeth is an esteemed individual; by giving him the role of Thane of Cawdor, Shakespeare also shows the audience that not only is Macbeth respectable, but he is also already in a position of high power, which would have been particularly evident at the time this play was written.  Introducing Macbeth’s societal standing supports the idea that this is an important fact about Macbeth – Shakespeare specifically wants audiences to understand his rank.  The fact that Macbeth is rich in character and high in status also shows the audience that he has very little to gain, but much to lose.  This is in fact prefigured by the three witches as well, who in the first scene plan to meet with Macbeth, presenting the idea that a poor fate will befall him.  

Upon meeting the witches, Macbeth’s character begins to take a different shape, showing that Macbeth is not a man strong-set in his ways.  The witches tell Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor, and then become king (Macbeth I.iii.52-53) At the time Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches, neither is yet aware of the fact that the Thane of Cawdor is no more, and Macbeth shall take his place; after hearing what the witches have to say, Macbeth demands to hear more (Macbeth I.iii.73-81).  By questioning the witches rather than just brushing them off, Macbeth shows interest in how this future will come about; the underlying question he is asking is whether it will come about naturally, or if he will have to create it.  From Macbeth’s reaction in front of Banquo, it somewhat seems as if he is merely going to carry on in his life as he would as if he had not met the witches, as he changes the subject immediately.  However, upon hearing from Ross and Angus that he has been named Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth reevaluates the witches’ prediction, giving it more weight.  Banquo then says to Macbeth, “oftentimes, to win us our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence” (Macbeth I.iii.135-137).  Here, Banquo is essentially warning Macbeth that the witches may be telling him the truth in order to tempt him to his doom, foreshadowing Macbeth’s demise, as well as Banquo’s.  Macbeth responds by saying he has no intent to act upon this knowledge, and “chance may crown [him] Without [his] stir” (Macbeth I.iii.158-159).  This alone leads audiences and readers alike to believe Macbeth, while ambitious in the sense that he wants to know the way in which his kingship will come about, is moral in the sense that he will allow fate to take a natural course.  However, it quickly becomes clear that this is not the case.

While once the audience was lead to believe Macbeth was a strong character, Shakespeare begins to show Macbeth in a light in which one can see he is indecisive.  Although Macbeth is at first Macbeth is content with his rank as Thane of Cawdor and says he will allow events to occur without his intervening, the audience soon becomes aware of how malleable Macbeth truly is.  Upon his arrival home, Lady Macbeth tells him she has a plan of how to make the prediction come true.  Although he has supposedly already made up his mind that he will now interfere with fate, agrees to hear his wife’s plan and will leave the decisions up to her (Macbeth I.vi.83).  This willingness to listen to a plan that will elevate him to the rank of king shows that Macbeth has an apparent interest in creating his own fate, regardless of his recent denial of that fact.  Furthering the portrayal of his indecisiveness, following learning of his wife’s plan, Macbeth battles with himself over whether or not he should murder the king.  No longer is he just merely willing to listen to an idea, but now considering the actual action itself, and says he would do it without hesitation were it not for consequences (Macbeth I.vii.1-6) and Macbeth outwardly says there is “no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition” (Macbeth I.vii.25-26); it becomes clear here that Macbeth is indecisive, but not concerned with the morality of his actions, but rather the penalties he could face; his actions are not a product of ethics, but of ambition.  Again, Macbeth settles on not killing Duncan, but again is persuaded by his wife to follow through, and does so.  From this point forward, all Macbeth does is to secure his power as king; he first kills the guards, eliminating any word contrary to his or Lady Macbeth’s, and then sets out for Banquo and his sons, as the witches prophesized that they would follow his reign.  Ultimately, Macbeth’s actions lead to his demise, as he dies still fighting to protect his own power from those he is supposed to protect, rather than protect his people and their wishes.