In the second meeting that Macbeth has with the three weird sisters, he inquires about his future as king. His primary aim is to distinguish which threats there are to his kingship and ultimately discern if Banquo's son Fleance poses a substantial threat to his throne. Macbeth asks the three witches to give him more information about which things threaten his kingship and they conjure up apparitions to offer Macbeth the information that he seeks....
In the second meeting that Macbeth has with the three weird sisters, he inquires about his future as king. His primary aim is to distinguish which threats there are to his kingship and ultimately discern if Banquo's son Fleance poses a substantial threat to his throne. Macbeth asks the three witches to give him more information about which things threaten his kingship and they conjure up apparitions to offer Macbeth the information that he seeks. The first of the prophecies informs Macbeth that he must in fact "Beware MacDuff." The second informs Macbeth that he cannot be killed by "any man born of a woman." This prophecy perplexes Macbeth because why would he need to be afraid of MacDuff if he cannot be killed by any man born of a woman. Finally, the apparitions offer the third prophecy that Macbeth will rule until Birnam Wood meets Dunsinane Hill. Again, Macbeth becomes extremely confused by this prophecy as a the woods cannot move to meet a stationary hill. However, Macbeth is not fully convinced by these prophecies and pushes the witches to tell him whether or not Banquo's sons will beget kings. As the witches leave, a series of apparitions appear showing Macbeth children in the image of Banquo who have been crowned kings (eight in total with the last one holding a looking glass offering a view of many more of Banquo's sons with crowns). This final apparition truly unsettles Macbeth who concludes that he must act immediately by killing MacDuff's family.
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