banquo- intro/conc

• intro:

  • character that could emerge as a hero, like macbeth
  • he receives prophecies from the witches hitch promise to change he fortunes of his family
  • but where macbeth chooses a path of betrayal, banquo stays loyal to ducan
  • used by shakespeare as a foil to the traitorous macbeth
  • his morality is unstained
  • trustworthy instead of duplicitous
  • an observer of fate rather than someone who tries to change it
• conc:

  • only in first 3 acts but his influence lasts a lot longer
  • his ghost literally and metaphorically haunts macbeth
  • used to serve as an example of what macbeths response to the witches temptations shouldve been
  • able to resist evil thoughts and remains loyal and honest throughout
  • evidence of humanity’s free will; we aren’t fated to commit sins or acts of grace
  • his failure to voice his suspicions ultimately cost him his life