Banquo

• Reactions to the witches’ prophecies

  • Macbeth is "rapt withal" and entranced by the Witches
  • Banquo is indifferent and sceptical towards the prophecies
• Shakespeare’s exposure of both Banquo and Macbeth to temptation


  Necessary for the audience to view the contrasting responses to temptation
• Shakespeare portrays temptation as the crux of the play


  Vital for the audience to decide which man is the morally righteous one
• Hamartia


  A fatal flaw, Macbeth's is his weakness to resist the influence of the Witches and Lady Macbeth
• Shakespeare's message to the audience is that everyone is capable of evil and must resist it
• Banquo resists the temptations of evil offered by the Supernatural

  Witches can be seen as a symbol of temptation to sin that Banquo, as a moral superior, is able to resist
• Banquo: '"What, can the devil speak true"'
• Banquo calls upon God for help in resisting temptation

  "merciful powers, restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in repose"
• Banquo


  • Noble
  • Strategic
• Banquo's nobility


  Demonstrates noble qualities, royalty of nature, honourable, virtuous, disapproves of murder, fights for justice, remains loyal to the king
• Banquo's strategic nature


  Debatable response to the Witches’ prophecy, repeatedly referred to as noble and honourable
• Shakespeare allows for debate through his ambivalent portrayal of Banquo


  Debate on Banquo's allegiance and resistance to evil
• Banquo


  • Repeatedly referred to as noble and honourable throughout the play
  • Described as having wisdom that guides his valour and a royalty of nature
  • States he must keep his allegiance clear, which could be to the past king Duncan or any king
  • Speaks strategically using carefully chosen and non-committal language to benefit himself
• Banquo's response to evil separates him from Macbeth

  He turns to God for help in resisting evil and doesn't act on his ambitions as he recognises they are a force of evil
• Banquo questions the supernatural nature of the witches and views them as agents of the devil
• Banquo resists evil and aligns with Jesus by rejecting evil thoughts and turning to God in times of temptation
• Banquo confesses to God and asks for help in remaining moral and virtuous, drawing parallels between himself and Jesus
• Banquo distances himself from the witches while Macbeth aligns himself with them
• Contemporary audience would recognize the witches as a force of evil and favor Banquo
• Modern audience might view the witches as humorous due to lack of belief in witches' existence
• Banquo dreams of the three weird sisters, showing his subconscious thoughts about the witches
• Banquo refers to the witches as the instruments of darkness and is aware of the potential trap in the predictions