r friend. In The Heroic Image in Five Shakespearean Tragedies, Matthew N. Proser states, “Once again Macbeth has tried to hide from the world and himself behind an objective force with which he seemingly has no connection. He disguises himself, so to speak, as two murderers who kill Banquo for their own reasons and who at the same time are possessed of the “seeling night’s” dire cruelty, of which they become the agents.”(74).After Banquo’s murder, a banquet is held honoring the new King of Scotland, Macbeth. During the banquet, Banquo appeared to Macbeth in a form of a ghost. This event startles Macbeth making him lose control of his inner thoughts. The vision of the ghost is horrible and Macbeth speaks openly to it. This is the first time Macbeth gives way to a public expression of his inner conflicts; which marks a turning point in the drama. During the course of this dramatic scene, Macbeth notices that Macduff is not present at his banquet and fears that he is up to something. Concerned about his absence, Macbeth becomes paranoid and feels that he must control everything that is in his path so he can secure his position and remain in power.After Macbeth’s ghostly encounter with Banquo, he feels that he must consult with the witches about his fate, as they seem to foresee the events of his future life. Macbeth meets the head witch Hecate who knows that Macbeth will not question information given to him but will act upon it. The witches conjure up an incantation three times to make sure that the charm’s power will be strong. The three apparitions are as followed: The first apparition is that of an armed head saying that Macbeth should beware of Macduff. The second apparition is that of a bloody child, and it states that no man born of a woman will harm Macbeth. The third and final apparition is that of a crowned child holding a tree. This last apparition states that ̶...
