After first meeting the witches Macbeth quotes; “Speak if you can; who are you?” The witches are strange looking and very unnatural beings; and Macbeth wants to know whom they are; but he’s also unsure about them, which in the end makes him naturally inquisitive.
On the other hand, later on Banquo quotes; “If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not.” This means he wants to know his future. This is because; he wants his own glory, if they can see his future he wants to benefit from their predictions to; unlike Macbeth he doesn’t entirely trust the witches and thinks they are treacherous and very deceitful.
Soon after in the play, the witches begin to brainwash him with their predictions so much that he almost begs for them to stay and envisage more. I can prove this with this quote: “Stay you imperfect speakers. Tell me more. Speak I charge you.” Macbeth is a very commanding person but he has weaknesses: Glory and ambition, even though not necessarily a bad trait, but the witches have started brainwash him to use it for bad purposes to get what he wants and cause chaos.
Unlike Macbeth, Banquo is mentally stronger and yet again doesn’t wholly trust the witches, nether does he plead them to stay, however he wouldn’t mind hearing his future. I can support by point with this quote: "I neither beg nor fear your favours or your hates.” Banquo isn’t afraid of the witches and their supernatural-powers, however he to wants to know his future like Macbeth.
After the witches have left; Macbeth is still dazed at the predictions about the Kingship but also he doesn’t want to show his true feelings about all of the predictions; so he discreetly brings up the subject to Banquo. “Your children shall be Kings.” Already Macbeth feels so threatened by Banquo, and the witches predictions, that he’s fearful of loosing something he hasn’t achieved yet.
On the other hand, Banquo, again, turns out to be the stronger by not believing the witches were not there. He thinks he was hallucinating, dreaming or figments of his imagination. I can justify this, with this quote: “Were such things here or have we eaten the insane root that takes the reason prisoner.” He yet again doesn’t trust the witches, and trust there predictions were even genuinely there to help.
When Ross and Angus appear to tell Macbeth that he is the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth and Banquo are in disbelief. Macbeth starts to conspire about assassinating the King. I know that Macbeth is plotting because he has a soliloquy right at the end of the scene, these are key points form the it: “this supernatural soliciting cannot be ill nor cannot be good.” This means that taking advice from unnatural and evil beings is wrong but the things they are saying cannot be foul if they are that glorious. It shows that Macbeth doesn’t know if he should believe in the prophecies, but the prophecy of becoming king is too magnificent to put aside in your mind.
Another key moment in the soliloquy is “Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair. And make my seated heart knock at my rise.” This shows he’s panicking about the Kingship, which at the present moment he hasn’t got, and he’s scheming to kill Duncan but again he still does have a conscience. Still he is very hesitant about the situation.
The last key point in Macbeth’s soliloquy. Is: “My dull brain was wrought with things forgotten.” Macbeth is so caught up with the thought of killing Duncan, that he’s almost in a trance and forgets everything around him.
Banquo on the other hand can’t believe it but also knows the witches are telling them good prophecies knowing dreadful things will come out of them. I can justify these points with these quotes by Banquo: “can the devil speak true” and “To win to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betrays in deepest consequence.” The first quote shows tells us that he can see right through the witches and he’s starting to worry about Macbeth. The second quote means; that the witches have promised them with some truth but in the long run the prophecies will betray Macbeth. Once more Banquo does not trust evil beings and he is trying to convince Macbeth not to trust the witches but later on this proves ineffective.
This scene is the beginning of the end for the good side of Macbeth. In 2 events he has turned deceitful and a liar. The rivalry starts, when Banquo starts to get suspicious about the way Macbeth is acting, as friends do Banquo starts to worry once Macbeth wakes up from his trance. This is a key scene and a turning point in the play, but also adds more complexity and excitement, and makes the audience tense; this is because anything can happen from now till the next turning point of the play. In this play you learn that both of the characters Macbeth and Banquo are both ambitious people but the difference is Macbeth is mentally weaker then Banquo.