banquo

• "why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?"


  • Banquo wonders why Macbeth seems shocked by the witch's predictions
  • He's open to their ideas, he's receptive to it, just like Macbeth however he doesn't peruse it like Macbeth does
• M: " your children shall be king "

  B: " you shall be king " 


  • Macbeth and Banquo discuss the witches' predictions once they leave
  • Finnish each others lines of iambic pentameter, doesn't feel like interruption
  • This suggests how close they are. It's light hearted in tone - doesn't believe it
• " merciful powers! Restrain in me the cursed thoughts"


  • Banquo prays for strength to ignore the thoughts he is having after listening to the witches
  • "cursed thoughts" = regicide? ambition? he tries to fight of these thoughts
  • he tries to resist thoughts unlike Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
• " but still keep my blosom franchised, and allegiance clear"


  • Banquo carefully tells Macbeth he wants to stay loyal to Duncan the night Macbeth kills him
  • Banquo doesn't want to betray the king - he's loyal
  • feels he has to be worried in case Macbeth becomes king in the feature
• " I fear, thou played most foully for't" 


  • Banquo suspects Macbeth killed Duncan when he goes to see Macbeth's crowning
  • Repetition of "fear" shows how their relationship is deteriorating, growing antagonism
  • foully = witches' predictions
• " our fear is Banquo stick deep " 


  • Macbeth begins to plan to kill Banquo because of the witches' predictions about his sons
  • the line echoes the language of stabbing Duncan
• "fly, good Fleance! Fly, fly, fly!"


  • as he is killed, Banquo is only concerned about his son
  • repetition of fly - desperate, juxtaposition to Macbeth's death
• "never shake thy gory locks at me !"


  • Banquo's ghost appears to Macbeth at the feast
  • blood = motif of guilt
  • he doesn't fear his ghost he feels guilty
  • hallucination or ghost?
• "hence horrible shadow"


  • Macbeth shouts at Banquo's ghost before it disapears at the feast
  • Shadow is a metephore
  • Banquo's good behaviour is the opposite of Macbeth's, like a shadow he can't escape it - a mirror