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Macbeth Banquo Murder Analysis

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In William Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is a noble warrior who had to kill the king, Duncan, in order to take the crown due to prophecies he was told by the witches. After the murder many people were suspicious of Macbeth including his friend Banquo. Macbeth knows the prophecy of Banquo as well, he shall be father of kings, and since Macbeth is king he has to do something about that. He hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. The audience is supposed to accept Banquo's ghost as a fantasy representing Macbeth's guilty conscience.
Macbeth hires two murderers initially, but a third one shows up when the murder is actually happening to help out. They plan to kill Banquo at night when he is supposed to be coming …show more content…

Macbeth speaks with them breifly to be sure that the murder was carried out as he had planned. The murderers assure Macbeth that Banquo's throat has been cut and he is dead: "Thou art the best o' th' cutthroats" (3.4.18). The murderers then leave and Macbeth goes back to the table to see that one seat is left empty, Macduff's seat: :Here is a place reserved, sir" (3.4.47). Macduff's absence is important later in the play.
Macbeth then sees Banquo's ghost in one of the chairs at the table: "Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake / Thy gory locks at me" (3.4.50-51). This is the first time Banquo's ghost appears after Banquo's death. Other people begin to wonder what is wrong with Macbeth because they can not see the ghost themselves: Gentlemen, rise, his highness is not well" (3.4.52). This shows that Banquo could not be an apparation of any sort since no one but Macbeth saw him.
The audience is supposed to accept Banquo's ghost as a fantasy representing Macbeth's guilty conscience. This is proven by the fact that no one but Macbeth even saw the ghost. Macbeth is the only one, besides the murderers, who even knew of Banquo's murder. Macbeth is guilty about killing his friend Banquo and is therefore losing his mind by seeing visions of his ghost when it is really not there at all. Macbeth is slowly losing his mind after the murder of Duncan, and now his best friend Banquo so imagining ghosts

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