How has Shakespeare presented Banquo in the play as a whole? Explain his significance
and role in this text.
Banquo is a character that we often associate with kindness and honour. He tends to always be by
Macbeth’s side early on in the play and ready to give advice and even council him. We as readers
know from the beginning that Banquo is a noble, loyal and dutiful man, qualities he has that are less
connoted with Macbeth as the play progresses. It is quite clear that Banquo’s concerns lie solely on
having a clear conscience, a pure and loving heart that is not affected by a vaulting ambition. Overall
it is comparatively obvious that Banquo is simply the superior man as his boldness and
understanding are what make him noticeable to King Duncan who calls him ‘noble’ suggesting a
generosity of spirit and compassion. But these qualities that contribute to his likable character are
what make him a concern to Macbeth, making him one of his victims of treacherous murder. But this
inevitably does not solve anything for Macbeth, Banquo’s son Fleance escapes his assassination
which continues to torture Macbeth and compromise his own sanity, which naturally progresses to
decline.
Shakespeare presents Banquo as a man who puts his duties first. He is not distracted by any
ambition that he might find himself presented with. We learn in the scene when Banquo sees the
witches that he is cautious and wary, questioning their very existence as they ‘Look not like the
inhabitants o’ the earth’. He is in fact given paradoxical prophecies, that he will be ‘lesser than
Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.’
Banquo doesn’t seem nearly as startled by them in contrast to Macbeth’s reaction who seems ‘to
fear things that do sound so fair’ earlier on. This implies a degree of guilt in Macbeth as his
‘fantastical’ thoughts of murder had already consumed him. Here specifically, Banquo acts as a foil
to Macbeth, as he highlights his flaws of nature.
As we see Macbeth gradually being convinced by his wife to perform the act of murder, he
essentially tests Banquo’s loyalty to King Duncan, when asking him if he ‘shall cleave to (his) consent
when ‘tis make honour for you’. Of course, Banquo responds assuring Macbeth that he will not put
any allegiance at risk for him. At this point in the play, we begin to see a growing suspicion and
Banquo is beginning to lose trust in Macbeth. Not only does this represent Banquo’s thoughts when
Macbeth secretly plots to kill King Duncan, but also highlighting the fears and suspicions in
Macbeth’s kingdom when he takes the crown, as he ‘fears thou played’st most foully for’t’.
We learn that Banquo has a much stronger will power in resisting the temptation to find out more
from the witches, much more so than Macbeth who gets into a habit of asking for more prophecies.
Banquo is also known by everyone to be an honourable and earnest man who has a sense of what is
right and what is wrong. Therefore, Shakespeare has implemented his character to act as the strong
voice of reason and a device to mark the escalation of Macbeth’s brutality after he has committed
the first murder. One violent act, even those done for selfless reasons, will unavoidably lead to
another, so nothing will be able to hold back Macbeth, not even his wife whose dominion and power
played a huge part in the beginning of this play. Macbeth no longer feels safe in his position as King
saying ‘to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus’. Macbeth is concerned by Banquo’s ‘royalty of
nature reigns that which would be feared’. This leads Macbeth, once again to the act of murder, all
for the sake of feeling more secure in his position of kingship.
During the scene in which Banquo is murdered, Shakespeare creates a tense and ominous
atmosphere using short, fragmented sentences of dialogue between each murderer. He also uses
and role in this text.
Banquo is a character that we often associate with kindness and honour. He tends to always be by
Macbeth’s side early on in the play and ready to give advice and even council him. We as readers
know from the beginning that Banquo is a noble, loyal and dutiful man, qualities he has that are less
connoted with Macbeth as the play progresses. It is quite clear that Banquo’s concerns lie solely on
having a clear conscience, a pure and loving heart that is not affected by a vaulting ambition. Overall
it is comparatively obvious that Banquo is simply the superior man as his boldness and
understanding are what make him noticeable to King Duncan who calls him ‘noble’ suggesting a
generosity of spirit and compassion. But these qualities that contribute to his likable character are
what make him a concern to Macbeth, making him one of his victims of treacherous murder. But this
inevitably does not solve anything for Macbeth, Banquo’s son Fleance escapes his assassination
which continues to torture Macbeth and compromise his own sanity, which naturally progresses to
decline.
Shakespeare presents Banquo as a man who puts his duties first. He is not distracted by any
ambition that he might find himself presented with. We learn in the scene when Banquo sees the
witches that he is cautious and wary, questioning their very existence as they ‘Look not like the
inhabitants o’ the earth’. He is in fact given paradoxical prophecies, that he will be ‘lesser than
Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.’
Banquo doesn’t seem nearly as startled by them in contrast to Macbeth’s reaction who seems ‘to
fear things that do sound so fair’ earlier on. This implies a degree of guilt in Macbeth as his
‘fantastical’ thoughts of murder had already consumed him. Here specifically, Banquo acts as a foil
to Macbeth, as he highlights his flaws of nature.
As we see Macbeth gradually being convinced by his wife to perform the act of murder, he
essentially tests Banquo’s loyalty to King Duncan, when asking him if he ‘shall cleave to (his) consent
when ‘tis make honour for you’. Of course, Banquo responds assuring Macbeth that he will not put
any allegiance at risk for him. At this point in the play, we begin to see a growing suspicion and
Banquo is beginning to lose trust in Macbeth. Not only does this represent Banquo’s thoughts when
Macbeth secretly plots to kill King Duncan, but also highlighting the fears and suspicions in
Macbeth’s kingdom when he takes the crown, as he ‘fears thou played’st most foully for’t’.
We learn that Banquo has a much stronger will power in resisting the temptation to find out more
from the witches, much more so than Macbeth who gets into a habit of asking for more prophecies.
Banquo is also known by everyone to be an honourable and earnest man who has a sense of what is
right and what is wrong. Therefore, Shakespeare has implemented his character to act as the strong
voice of reason and a device to mark the escalation of Macbeth’s brutality after he has committed
the first murder. One violent act, even those done for selfless reasons, will unavoidably lead to
another, so nothing will be able to hold back Macbeth, not even his wife whose dominion and power
played a huge part in the beginning of this play. Macbeth no longer feels safe in his position as King
saying ‘to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus’. Macbeth is concerned by Banquo’s ‘royalty of
nature reigns that which would be feared’. This leads Macbeth, once again to the act of murder, all
for the sake of feeling more secure in his position of kingship.
During the scene in which Banquo is murdered, Shakespeare creates a tense and ominous
atmosphere using short, fragmented sentences of dialogue between each murderer. He also uses
