Macbeth Soliloquy: Act III Scene I

This soliloquy takes part after Macbeth finishes a conversation with Banquo where he tells him that Donalbain and Malcolm, the alleged murders of Duncan, have fled and are spreading lies. Banquo suspects that Macbeth caused the witches' predictions to come true through foul play.  He also discovers that Banquo is going for horseback ride through the forest and immediately calls the three murderers after Banquo departs. The soliloquy begins with Macbeth stating that to just be the king is not acceptable and that he would be better if he was safely king; meaning that he does not trust Banquo to continue acting as dormant as he has been and expects him to attack as Macbeth did to Duncan in order to force the witches prophecies to come true. He sees his former friend as an enemy that must be taken care of because he takes risks, is noble, his mind never stops working, he uses his wisdom to make courageously brave yet safe choices. Macbeth fears only him for these qualities in which he wishes that he had. He makes a reference, comparing himself to Mark Antony saying, "My genius is rebuked, as it is said Mark Antony’s was by Caesar" (Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 55-56) meaning that around Banquo, his guardian angel even feels frightened like Mark Antony's was in comparison to Octavius Caesar. He remembers that when the witches predicted that he would be king, Banquo wanted to know his own future, which the witches told him that he would be the father of many kings. This upset Macbeth because he knew that he doesn't have his own family to pass the crown to so that he would have to pass it to another family, most likely Banquo's son Fleance as would fit with the witches' predictions. What bothered Macbeth about this realization is that he had just finished all the hard work of killing the king, torturing his conscience, and basically handing over his soul to the devil without thinking that all of this work would benefit Banquo's sons with none of the harm to them that Macbeth had to endure which was fresh in his mind. Because he refuses to let this happen for his own selfish reasons, he challenges the fate that the witches predicted, hoping to keep the crown to himself opposed to later giving it to Banquo's descendants. He does this by calling on the murderers to find Banquo while he is riding in the forest with his son and to kill them both so that the prophecies cannot come true.