Macbeth Act 3 Revision: Question and Answers

Banquo utters these final words in his soliloquy at the palace at Forres. Banquo thinks that the predictions of the witches for Macbeth have been fulfilled; Macbeth has become the thanes of Glamis, Cawdor and king. Banquo has the suspicion that Macbeth has played most foully for it. But the witches have predicted that kingship would pass on to his descendants. Banquo would be the root and father of many kings. So if the predictions have been fulfilled in the case of Macbeth, so they may prove true in his case also. He is encouraged by the hope that his sons and descendants would be future kings. However, Banquo recoils from this thought, because it means that he is yielding to temptation. The witches are devils and to be influenced by them is to yield to evil forces. On another occasion, he had been plagued by these cursed thoughts. Now again, these cursed thoughts come to his mind. So he asks himself not to entertain this thought any more. He restrains himself. There are critics who hold that Banquo hears the footsteps of men coming to the place, and so he keeps silent. But the soliloquy is loud thinking. It cannot be heard by other characters. It is meant for the audience.