Final answer:
The witches' predictions for Banquo are paradoxical, suggesting he will be lesser and greater, unhappy yet happy, and his lineage will be royal without him being king. The prophecies plant seeds of ambition and fear, influencing Macbeth's tyranny and leading to a tragic conclusion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The predictions made by the witches about Banquo in Shakespeare's Macbeth can be categorized as paradoxical and foretelling.
The witches hail Banquo with three prophecies: they tell him that he is 'lesser than Macbeth, and greater,' 'not so happy, yet much happier,' and that he 'shalt get kings, though thou be none.' These cryptic statements suggest that Banquo's lineage will be royal, but he himself will not be a king.
The effect of these predictions is complex, as they plant the seeds of ambition and curiosity in both Macbeth and Banquo.
For Macbeth, the prophecies regarding Banquo's descendants intensify his fear and drive him toward his subsequent tyrannical actions to prevent the prophecies from coming true.
Banquo, on the other hand, becomes wary of the witches' words but does not act upon them as Macbeth does. Ultimately, the witch's prophecies lead to a series of events that culminate in tragedy and the fall of Macbeth.