Banquo

• constructs Banquo to show the different ways men can act when tempted, and Banquo being crafted as Macbeth's foil, he is symbolic of man's ability to resist temptation
• Banquo's main purpose in the play is to contrast/contradict Macbeth
• "instruments of darkness, tell us truths win us with honest trifles, to betray us"
• "instruments of darkness, tell us truths win us with honest trifles, to betray us"

  "instruments of darkness"-the motif of witchcraft- connotations of spiritual malpractice and eeriness- and Banquo is quick to discover the equivocal nature of the witches and instantly tries to convince Macbeth against them- creating an esteem for him in the eyes of the Jacobean audience who were strongly opposed by all forms of sorcery
• "lesser and greater than Macbeth"

  the oxymoronic phrase condemns the witches and exhibits their equivocal nature presenting the supernatural as deceitful and cunning- multifaceted- showing how even the most morally righteous and valiant people can still be tested
• "Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren sceptre in my gripe.”
• "Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren sceptre in my gripe.”


  Macbeth begins to spiral into deeper moral corruption

  kingship is worthless without an heir-triggering his paranoia about Banquo and leading him to consider further bloodshed.

  “Fruitless crown”-oxymoron-reflects Macbeth's awareness that his rule is unnatural and is void of legitimacy

  “Barren sceptre”-oxymoron-usually a symbol of kingly power- being described as barren (a term used for women who cannot have kids)- evokes infertility and feminises Macbeth's power hinting to his impotence, Macbeth jealousy of Banquo because he is scared the Fleance will overthrow him=this Shows how his ambition is increasing as he is never satisfied and is constantly in a state if insecurity which leads him to commit more blood shed