Macbeth did not kill Banquo himself because he wanted to maintain a facade of innocence and avoid suspicion. Macbeth had already murdered King Duncan to seize the throne, and he was concerned that Banquo, who was witness to the prophecy that foretold Macbeth’s rise to power, could pose a threat to his reign. Instead of killing Banquo himself, Macbeth hired assassins to carry out the deed, allowing him to distance himself from the crime and appear uninvolved. This decision, however, ultimately backfired, as Banquo’s ghost later haunted Macbeth, revealing the guilt and paranoia that consumed him.
As Macbeth confesses, he must “mask the business from the common eye / For sundry weighty reasons.” By hiring assassins to kill Banquo and his son Fleance, Macbeth could avoid directly carrying out the murder himself, maintaining an appearance of innocence. As he states, “though I could / With barefac’d power sweep him from my sight, / And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not, / For certain friends that are both his and mine, / Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall / Who I myself struck down.” Macbeth’s decision to employ the murderers allows him to eliminate Banquo while distancing himself from the crime, preserving his public image as king. However, this strategy ultimately unravels, as Banquo’s ghost later appears to Macbeth, exposing the guilt and paranoia that plague the usurper’s reign.
Relevant Passages:
Act iii, Scene ii
Banquo expresses his fear that Macbeth obtained the throne through foul means and questions the prophecies of the Weird Women. Macbeth invites Banquo to a feast and asks for his advice, but Banquo plans to leave for a ride and promises to return at night. Macbeth mentions that their cousins have fled to England and Ireland and they will discuss it further the next day.
Act ii, Scene ii
Banquo and Fleance enter with a torch, and Banquo asks about the time. Macbeth arrives and Banquo informs him that the king is in bed and has given out gifts. They discuss the Weird Sisters and Macbeth asks for an hour of Banquo’s time. Banquo agrees and they part ways. Macbeth sends a servant to tell his wife to come to bed.
Act iii, Scene ii
In this passage, Macbeth speaks to two murderers about his plan to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. He reveals that Banquo is his enemy and that he must eliminate him for his own survival. The murderers agree to carry out the deed and Macbeth promises to give them more instructions later.
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