In Act I, scene 3, Banquo and Macbeth encounter the three witches who in Act I have stated,
Fair is foul, and foul is fair,/Hover through the fog and filthy air (I, i, ll.10-11)
Upon the request of Macbeth to speak, the witches pronounce their predictions: Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and later King. To Banquo they say that he will beget kings without ever being one, but he will be "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater." Puzzled by these words Macbeth and Banquo, speaking in asides, wonder about the predictions made about them. When Macbeth says in an aside
Blamis, and Thane of Cawdor:/The greatest is behind
he entertains the idea that he will become king, an idea that seems "fair," or good. He then asks Banquo if he does not hope that the witches's prediction that his children will become kings will come true. To this Banquo remarks upon Macbeth's eagerness for power:
That [news], trusted home,/Might yet enkindle you unto the crown
Banquo warns Macbeth that what appears "fair" could be "foul," knowing the evil nature of the witches; in other words, the outcomes of Macbeth's actions could be disastrous if he is "won to the harm" of these predictions. Of course, the irony is that Macbeth does not heed Banquo's warning, and, while the predictions do come true, they are effected by extremely evil and "foul" methods.
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