Macbeth hesitates at first, but his aspiring wife eventually prevails. Macbeth kills Duncan as planned, but is now racked with guilt. Two visiting nobles, Lennox and Macduff, finding the king's lifeless body the next morning, sound the alarm. Everyone rushes to the site, where Macbeth and his wife pretend shock. Duncan's two sons, suspecting a similar conspiracy will be attempted on their lives, flee separately to England and Ireland.
Events now move swiftly.
Everyone saw the flight of Duncan's sons as evidence that they had been the conspirators against their father. In fact, Banquo, remembering the promises made by the witches, fears attempts on both his life and the life of his son Fleance and immediately informs Macbeth that the two of them would be leaving the country. Macbeth, who also remembered the witches' ultimate prophecy, hires two assassins to kill Banquo and Fleance as they travel. He can t allow Banquo's son to rule. Banquo is murdered, but Fleance escapes.