Question

macbeth 3.1.52-77
to be thus is nothing,
but to be safely thus. our fears in banquo
stick deep, and in his royalty of nature
reigns that which would be feared. ’tis much he
dares,
and to that dauntless temper of his mind
he hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor
to act in safety. there is none but he
whose being i do fear; and under him
my genius is rebuked, as it is said
mark antony’s was by caesar. he chid the sisters
when first they put the name of king upon me
and bade them speak to him. then, prophet - like,
they hailed him father to a line of kings.
upon my head they placed a fruitless crown
and put a barren scepter in my grip,
thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand,
no son of mine succeeding. if ’t be so,
for banquo’s issue have i filed my mind;
for them the gracious duncan have i murdered,
put rancors in the vessel of my peace
only for them, and mine eternal jewel
given to the common enemy of man
to make them kings, the seeds of banquo kings.
rather than so, come fate into the list,
and champion me to th’ utterance.

Explanation:

This is a soliloquy from Shakespeare's Macbeth. Macbeth expresses his fear and resentment that Banquo (and Banquo's descendants) will inherit the throne he seized through murder. He laments that his crown is "fruitless" and his scepter "barren" as he has no children to pass his power to, while the Weird Sisters prophesied Banquo's line will be kings. He resolves to take fate into his own hands to stop this.

Answer:

This passage is Macbeth's paranoid, guilt-ridden soliloquy revealing his fear of Banquo and his rage that Banquo's heirs will claim the throne he stole.