In Elizabethan England, witchcraft was taken seriously. Witches (usually women) who practiced witchcraft were seen as tools of Satan, intent on dragging human beings down into Hell for eternal damnation. Witches could appear as normal human beings or as figures such as the Three Sisters, with warts and beards and cackling voices. Many unusual appearing and acting people were accused of witchcraft and put to death during this time.
Banquo accepts that the witches may be telling the truth as to their prophecies for himself and Macbeth, but the truth is used as an instrument to lead them to their destruction. He warns Macbeth about this, believing that the witches have supernatural power to bring about his and Macbeth’s downfall, but Macbeth is by this time becoming consumed by his fatal flaw, pride (hubris). He is ambitious, and sees only that the witches are promising him a kingdom. His only concern is how this is to come about. Should he sit back and let it happen, if it is so prophesied, or is he supposed to take some kind of action? How much is the supernatural in control of his destiny beyond just foretelling it? With the help of his wife, he falls for the evil trap, in effect selling his soul to the devil, as the Elizabethans would say it.
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