banquo

• ambition

  • “if you can look into the seeds of time and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me”
  • banquo shows ambition to find out about his own future
  • however, he does not permit the predictions to influence his behaviour, therefore he retains his integrity throughout the whole play
• supernatural

  • “ to win us to out harm, the instuments of darkness telk us truths, win is with honest trifles”
  • min this metaphor banquo shows his cautious approach to the witches and his awareness of how they can tell us small things we want to hear in order to lead us towards disaster
• violence

  • “ blood-boltered banquo similes upon me“
  • the violence and plosive “b” sounds mirrors how painful macbeth finds the vision of banquo taunting him
• guilt

  • “ a heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet i would not sleep”
  • min this simile banquo openly confessed the witches predictions are preying on his mind making him feel a sense of guilt
  • his transparency contests with macbeth who denies having any thoughts about the witches when he says “i think not of them”
• false appearance

  • “banquo shaming metaphor reveals his suspicion macbeth has cheated to win the crown
  • banquo doesn’t voice his suspicions to others wither because of loyalty to macbeth or for the selfish reaosn so as not to interfere with the supernatural prediction that he will be the father to a long line of kings