Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. / SECOND WITCH. / Not so happy, yet much happier. / THIRD WITCH. / Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: / So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!
Act I, Scene 3 · The Three Witches
Context
The witches deliver riddling prophecies to Banquo, telling him he will be simultaneously lesser and greater than Macbeth, less happy but happier, and that he will father kings without becoming one himself.
Analysis
Each prophecy is built from contradictions that can't be resolved logically—"lesser" and "greater," "not so happy" and "much happier"—forcing Banquo (and the audience) to hold mutually exclusive ideas in mind at once. Unlike Macbeth's prophecies, which form a clear upward progression, Banquo's prophecies offer no actionable clarity; they give him nothing to pursue. This structural difference in the prophecies explains the men's different reactions: Macbeth receives a roadmap, while Banquo receives a riddle.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that the witches tailor their prophecies to each man's psychology—they give Macbeth linear, achievable-sounding steps because he's the one susceptible to action, while they give Banquo paradoxes because he's not the target; the form of the prophecy is itself a manipulation.