Macbeth Characters : Acts I and II
            
            
             Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Banquo are all tempted with the witches' prophecies. Horrid images immediately begin to invade the minds of these three characters. However, it is their responses to this and the choices they make that distinguish them from one another and ultimately change lives forever.
             Macbeth and Banquo respond to the witches' predictions in different ways. Banquo is very skeptical. Although he begs for their prophecy of his future, he is not so taken with their revelations as he says, "Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear/ Your favours nor your hate" (I.iii.60-61). Fair words can mean foul things. Their replies are tempting but he passes them off as only trouble. Macbeth is understandably thrilled at the sudden reality of the truths and becomes obsessed with the idea of being king. He claims to have decided to allow fate to direct his destiny, but their predictions have left a frightening impression in his mind. Banquo uses good judgment believing that the witches represent evil and will bring more harm than good, but the rapid occurrence of events clouds Macbeth's judgment and cause him to fall prey to this deep impatient ambition.
             From the moment Lady Macbeth reads the letter, she is determined to make the witches prophecy come true. Her mind is an echo of the witches predictions, "Fair is foul and foul is fair"(I.i.10). However, the witches are forces of nature and fate and Lady Macbeth is human. They may have pointed Macbeth in a direction but did not force him to commit to anything as she did. Their predictions only came true because of her push. The quick decisions begin as she plans the 'quickest way' to get Macbeth on the throne. Shakespeare introduces her character as a dominant and controlling wife. Contrary to her heartless nature though, Macbeth addresses her as a pure being because only he knows o...