Banquo

• Banquo is a brave noble and at the start of the play we learn that his children will inherit the throne
• Banquo is similar to Macbeth in that they both have ambitious thoughts however, Banquo demonstrates restraint as he doesn't act upon these desires
• Banquo is the foil to Macbeth - he represents the route that Macbeth chose not to take , the path where ambition leads to betrayal and death. Thus it is why Banquo's ghost haunts Macbeth and not Duncan's
• he takes the witches for what they physically appear to be - old and ragged, he doesn't trust them so he perceives their prophecies with scepticism
• Banquo is also loyal to Macbeth but this loyalty is tested throughout the play
• Banquo is loyal to King Duncan and refuses to kill him even when the witches tell him that he can become king if he does
• Banquo has an air of mystery about him which makes him intriguing to the audience
• Macbeth kills Banquo out of fear rather than malice
• Banquo's role of foil emphasised by the juxtaposition of his prophecies with Macbeth's "lesser" and "greater" with "happier" and "not so happy". Shakespeare uses antithesis in his phrasing hints that Banquo serves as Macbeth's antithesis
• Banquo is morally strong and virtuous character who resists evil providing a contrast to Macbeth who is morally weak
• Shakespeare presents temptations as the crux of the play - vital for Banquo to be faced with temptation as it proves he is morally strong and capable to resist evil.