Banquo in Macbeth

Write about Banquo and the way he is presented in Macbeth

Shakespeare presents Banquo as Macbeth’s foil and rival, although he begins as his closest ally. He represents good as opposed to Macbeth who symbolises evil. In the beginning, he is Macbeth’s equal and similar in several ways; he is of the same reputation as a commander, and is likewise ambitious – as seen in Act 1 Scene 3: ‘Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear/ Your favours nor your hate’, like Macbeth, he is keen to hear what has been predicted for him. Also, in his soliloquy at the start of Act 3 Scene 1 - ‘Thou hast it now’ – it almost seems like there is a hint of resentment, jealousy and the same ambition that later proves to be Macbeth’s downfall. However, despite being ambitious, he is wise, perceptive and aware of the malicious intent of the Witches, and intelligently warns Macbeth that they may be ‘instruments of darkness’ and are not to be trusted, which shows that he can tell right from wrong, making him an effective foil. Shakespeare uses Banquo’s ambition as a reminder of Macbeth’s faults, and shows the audience that temptation can be resisted, therefore Macbeth’s actions are of his own free will.

Shakespeare presents Banquo as a character that is widely respected, for example Duncan praises him in the highest terms: ‘worthy Banquo! He is full so valiant’. This high respect becomes a source of fear of him in Macbeth, which ultimately leads to his death. In Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 3 Scene 1, Macbeth remarks that ‘There is none but he/ Whose being I do fear: and, under him,/ My Genius is rebuked. He acknowledges Banquo’s many honourable qualities that make him an extremely viable threat to his kingship, such as his bravery, integrity and intelligence that make up his ‘royalty of nature’.                                                                                                              As well as being widely respected, Shakespeare also presents Banquo’s character as undoubtedly loyal. After the murder of Duncan, he declares that he will fight against ‘treasonous malice’. His unrivalled loyalty and his honourable qualities motivates Macbeth to kill him.

Shakespeare does not write Banquo without his flaws, however. His most tragic flaw is that although he is correct in suspecting that Macbeth is responsible for Duncan’s death, he fails to act on it in time before his murder. This suspicion is shown in ‘Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all / As the weird women promised, and I fear / Thous play'dst most foully for't.’. In addition, he also answers vaguely to Macbeth’s inquiries about his journey; in response to ‘Is’t far you ride?’, he replies with ‘As far, my lord, as will fill up the time’. This is unclear and unspecific, which shows his suspicions about Macbeth’s intentions. Yet despite this clear suspicion, he does not do anything, or accuse Macbeth, which shows a lack in his morality. In comparison to Macduff, who immediately after the murder flees to England, he stays with Macbeth, perhaps unwilling to accuse his closest friend and an apparently honourable man of regicide. The fact that Banquo fears that Macbeth ‘play’dst most foully’ suggests that he fears for Macbeth, and may also suggest that he does not truly wish to believe it, which may be the cause for his silence.                                                     It is possible that he does this so that Fleance might have a chance of being the future king – ‘May they not be my oracles as well/ And set me up in hope?’. Through Banquo, Shakespeare shows us that even the best of men can fall prey to temptation and ambition, and Banquo’s character has ambition and evil beginning to seep into him.

However, although Banquo has the beginnings of dangerous ambition, Shakespeare presents his response to the prophecy very differently to Macbeth, as unlike Macbeth, his mind does not immediately form thoughts of murder (although the prophecy does have a gradual effect on him) and he is more sceptical and cynical. Unlike Macbeth, he is not ambitious for himself, but for his children, who have been prophesised to be future kings. Furthermore, he is more aware of the enticement the prophecy has on him, and admits that the Witches weigh on his mind: ‘I dreamed last night of the three weird sisters’. Macbeth, in comparison, denies the effect on him. Shakespeare also shows Banquo as being more of a well-meaning and commendable character, because recognising his temptation, he prays to the ‘merciful powers’ to help him resist it (a contrast with the powers of darkness the Macbeths are associated with). In this scene, Shakespeare has Banquo give his sword to Fleance: ‘Hold, take my sword’. Combined with the fact that he has been having dreams of the Witches, Shakespeare might be hinting that Banquo has dreamt of killing Duncan for the good of his sons. But his noble and good nature rejects these thoughts, and gives his weapons to Fleance to prevent the dreams coming true (he then asks for it back when Macbeth approaches: ‘Give me my sword’, which may again show his suspicion).                                                                  He is presented as a more admirable character because he is able to recognise his faults and work on them, unlike Macbeth. Yet, as shown above, he is unable to act on the flaws of others before his death.