Why do Banquo and Macbeth react differently to the witches in Macbeth?

Answer 1

In Act 1 Scene 3 of the Shakespearean play, friends and fellow Generals Macbeth and Banquo met three witches. The witches hailed Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, which he already was; Thane of Cawdor, which he was unbeknownst to him; and King of Scotland, which he hadn't considered. Macbeth was shaken and then tempted by the predictions.

The witches then hailed Banquo as lesser and less lucky but at the same time greater and more fortunate than Macbeth. They predicted great fortune for the royal line that would descend from him even though he'd be uncrowned. Banquo joked about the insanity of believing supernatural beings that came and went. He later warned of the hidden agendas of such beings.

Answer 2

The three witches definitely got Macbeth's ambitious attention with their predictions of promotions to Thane of Cawdor and then of King of Scotland. But Banquo was skeptical. He even suggested that they must have gone a little bit crazy to be seeing the witches and believing in their existence and their predictions. Subsequently, he conceded that if they really had seen the witches, then they needed to be suspicious of the reasons. He cut right to the chase when he suggested that the forces of evil made their presence and powers known only to the detriment of mortals.

Answer 3

"Macbeth believed them and was affected by their words,while Banquo was wise enough not to believe their words because he knew that these evil creatures were telling Macbeth only half truths but as Macbeth was an ambitious character ha didn't listen to him ."

A standard answer, not particularly well grounded in the actual text. The first reaction to the prophecies is to treat them as a joke: "Your children shall be kings" "You shall be kings" "And Thane of Cawdor too, went it not so?" They are laughing about it. But almost immediately the Thane of Cawdor prophecy, which seemed so ridiculous to them (since they were not at the battle where Cawdor was captured), proves to be true. And they are both taken aback. The question on their minds is whether the other prophecies will also come true. Macbeth says, "Do you not hope your children shall be kings?" and Banquo doesn't deny it, because it is true, he does hope they will be kings, but says instead, "That, trusted home, would enkindle you unto the crown." Sort of, "Well, what about you?"

Both men then question whether this prophecy could be true or not. Banquo says "Oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence." And Macbeth in a series of long asides, thinks the same thing. "This supernatural soliciting cannot be good; cannot be ill".

Banquo does not stop reflecting on the witches' prophecy. The very night that Macbeth is to murder Duncan, Banquo says "I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters. To you they have shown some truth." Banquo is still not sure what to make of the prophecies, and whether they should be treated as fair or foul. But since there is nothing he can do to make his children kings, which he is ambitious enough to desire, he is not tempted to take action to help fulfil the prophecies. If chance will make them kings, why then, chance may crown them without his stir.

In the end, both men are affected the same by the prophecies. They both are torn between doubting and believing. Macbeth, however, is put in the position where he can choose to act to help bring them to fruition, while Banquo is not. It is Macbeth's choice to do that act, and not his belief in the prophecies, that is wrong. Banquo says it, while expressing his hope and ambition that the prophecies about him are true (effectively proving the first paragraph in this answer to be wrong) at the start of Act 3:

Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,

As the weird women promised, and, I fear,

Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said

It should not stand in thy posterity,

But that myself should be the root and father

Of many kings. If there come truth from them-

As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine-

Why, by the verities on thee made good,

May they not be my oracles as well,

And set me up in hope?

Answer 4

Both of them are a little unsure of what they are dealing with. Banquo says, "What are these, so wither'd and so wild in their attire that they look not like the inhabitants of the earth, and yet are on't?" And Macbeth isn't even sure they can talk. "Speak, if you can. What are you?" When the witches do speak, both of them want to hear more. First Banquo, "Speak, then, to me." and afterwards Macbeth, "Stay you imperfect speakers; tell me more!"

Answer 5

Banquo does most of the talking, which means Macbeth does most of the listening and thinking. Banquo says "My noble partner . . . seems rapt" which means Macbeth is lost in thought. Banquo wants to order them around. "Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear your favours nor your hate." Only after they have given their prediction to Banquo does Macbeth come out of it, and start to ask them questions. He orders them too ("Speak, I charge you.") but he has a lot to ask them: how can he be Cawdor when Cawdor is alive and prosperous? how do they know this? why are they even talking to Macbeth and Banquo?

Banquo doesn't think that much about what the witches say; he would likely have brushed the incident off if Macbeth hadn't been so interested in it.

Answer 6

Banquo is skeptical but of course the prophecies that have to do with him are not ones which are going to be answered during his lifetime. He can afford to be blasé about them. The prophecies which have to do with Macbeth will have a significant influence on his life. Therefore he thinks about them more.

Answer 7

Macbeth takes them seriously. Banquo does not. This might perhaps be because nothing they predict about Banquo could happen in his lifetime, so he doesn't care. It could be that Banquo is a more materialistic and practical person than Macbeth, and so just plain doesn't believe much in witches anyhow, although the text does not help us in determining if this is true or not. The ambitious side of Macbeth's nature is aroused by the possibility that he might become king; Banquo, no matter how ambitious he might be, would not have his ambition aroused by the possibility that some remote descendant of his might become king. So the main reason they react differently is that the prophecies are different.

Answer 8

Macbeth and Banquo reacted equally like if mode was activated.