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   luannw Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

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   The answer to this is in Act 3, sc. 1 approximately ll. 52-76.  Here Macbeth says he is afraid that Banquo suspects he had something to do with Duncan's murder beause of Banquo's "royalty of nature" and because Banquo has "...a wisdom that doth guide his valor...".  Macbeth goes on to say that he fears Banquo.  Then Macbeth laments the Weird Sisters' prophecy that Banquo's descendants would become kings while they had no such prophecy for Macbeth, ""They hailed him father to a line of kings. / Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown...".  Macbeth talks on about this for most of the rest of this soliloquy.  It frustrates Macbeth endlessly that he is not to have children who might follow his royal footsteps.  In scene 2 of Act 3, Macbeth tells his wife that they haven't rid themselves of their problems by killing Duncan, they have only traded one problem for another problem ("We have scotched the snake, not killed it").  Right now, the uppermost problem in Macbeth's mind is getting rid of Banquo and Fleance.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/macbeth

   http://www.enotes.com/macbeth/act-iii-summary-analysis

   http://www.enotes.com/macbeth/macbeth-character-analysis

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   Posted by luannw on Monday November 17, 2008 at 5:31 AM