He will get kings though he be none.
He wants to prevent Banquo's son from becoming king as the witches predicted (Apex)
MacBeth tells Banquo that he had not been thinking of the witches after Banquo says he, himself, has. Banquo is thinking about the predictions and MacBeth becoming Thane of Cawdor fulfilling one of the prophesies. This occurs after MacBeth is set on killing Duncan, the king. He is trying to hide his guilt even before he is truly guilty.
If he did, it is not shown in the play. As far as we know, he only had the one chance encounter with them.
The three witches described Banquo as 'lesser than Macbeth, and greater'. They meant that Banquo was lesser, because he held the same job title whereas Macbeth became Thane of Cawdor in additiion to Thane of Glamis. Banquo didn't get to advance past being Captain. But Macbeth received another noble title, and would become king. Nevertheless, Banquo was greater, because he didn't have Macbeth's fatal flaw of raging ambition and manipulability. Banquo also was greater, because he was going to be the ancestor of a long line of kings. But Macbeth would hold and lose his title, and would have no descendants to succeed him.
Banquo warns Macbeth not to trust the witches, stating:"often times to win us harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths"which basically means that they may seem to give reasonable comments, but they do not give them to benefit others, but to benefit themselves.
According to the witches, Banquo's descendants would rule. Allegedly King James I of England was one of his descendants because he ruled in the time of Shakespeare and the author wished to be in good graces with the King.
The three witches in Shakespeare's play Macbeth predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, and that Banquo's descendants will become kings. Many get confused and think that one of the predictions is that Macbeth will become Thane of Glamis. However this is not a prediction; when the witches meet Macbeth, he is already Thane of Glamis. They also predicted that they would kill him and rape him
Macbeth is the one who is awake late at night with his son, and is alarmed by dreams he has had of the witches.
MacBeth tells Banquo that he had not been thinking of the witches after Banquo says he, himself, has. Banquo is thinking about the predictions and MacBeth becoming Thane of Cawdor fulfilling one of the prophesies. This occurs after MacBeth is set on killing Duncan, the king. He is trying to hide his guilt even before he is truly guilty.
He wants to prevent Banquo's son from becoming king as the witches predicted (Apex)
If he did, it is not shown in the play. As far as we know, he only had the one chance encounter with them.
Banquo was able to see some of the witches' prophecies fulfilled, like the one about Macbeth becoming king. He was also aware, as he lay there dying with twenty trenched gashes in his head, that their prophecy about him not becoming the king looked like it was going to come true also.
She doesn't. She says, "How did you dare to trade and traffic with Macbeth in riddles and affairs of death, and I the mistress of your charms, was never call'd to bear my part or show the glory of our art?" In other words she's cheesed off that the other witches went ahead without giving her a piece of the action. She doesn't care about Macbeth or Banquo one way or the other.
The three witches described Banquo as 'lesser than Macbeth, and greater'. They meant that Banquo was lesser, because he held the same job title whereas Macbeth became Thane of Cawdor in additiion to Thane of Glamis. Banquo didn't get to advance past being Captain. But Macbeth received another noble title, and would become king. Nevertheless, Banquo was greater, because he didn't have Macbeth's fatal flaw of raging ambition and manipulability. Banquo also was greater, because he was going to be the ancestor of a long line of kings. But Macbeth would hold and lose his title, and would have no descendants to succeed him.
That he would be king hereafter. That one was clear. That he would be Thane of Glamis? Not really a prediction, since that had happened in the past and Macbeth knew about it. That he would be Thane of Cawdor? Also not really a prediction, since the King had already named him Thane of Cawdor, which the witches knew but Macbeth didn't. The only thing the witches say in Act I that is about the future is that he will become king. Well, what about Act IV then? You might argue that the predictions in Act IV don't really come from the witches but rather from "their masters", whatever that is supposed to mean. But leaving that aside, the first thing said is "Beware Macduff!". Well, that is no prediction, just a warning. The other two things which are said are both predictions: that Macbeth will not be killed by a man of woman born, and that he will not be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. These two, and the one about becoming king, are the three predictions made to Macbeth.
Banquo warns Macbeth not to trust the witches, stating:"often times to win us harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths"which basically means that they may seem to give reasonable comments, but they do not give them to benefit others, but to benefit themselves.
According to the Shakespearean play, Banquo and his son Fleance were attacked by three murderers as they wended their way back to an evening banquet at Forres Palace. Fleance managed to escape. But Banquo never got out of the park near the palace. The murderers managed to cut his throat. The murder of the father, and not of the son, was in accordance with the witches' predictions in Act 1 Scene 3. The witches had told Banquo that he never would be king. But they indicated that Banquo would be the ancestor of a long line of kings. And so, in terms of the plot, it was important for Fleance to escape. The murder of the one and the escape of the other put Macbeth ever more in harm's way from the witches. It made him accept the witches' predictions as fact and as fate. And it made it possible for the predictions to come true.