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Banquo Integrity Essay

414 Words2 Pages

Shakespeare uses Banquo’s integrity in Act 3 Scene 1 to emphasize Macbeth’s moral decline. In the scene, Banquo’s soliloquy illustrates his suspicion that Macbeth has “play’dst most foully for it” and actually, achieved his titles through disloyalty and deceit. This suspicion not only demonstrates Banquo’s loyalty and skepticism about Macbeth’s methods, but also suggests that Banquo recognizes how dangerous the ambition that drives Macbeth has made him, implying that he sees through Macbeth’s facade and tyranny. These signs of distrust are crucial for the audience to see as it shows an ethical division between the two and the impact of their actions on their fate. Despite his suspicion, Banquo does not immediately confront Macbeth, which might infer that he does not wish to harm a friend without concrete evidence, so hints that he still holds some loyalty and respect towards Macbeth referring to their past, but on the other hand it might have been due to fear as he might hold a high awareness of the danger that Macbeth holds now, as he has raised to Kingship and is still in hold of violent manners. …show more content…

Banquo's natural nobility and courage underscore Macbeth’s own moral decline and insecurity, as he is well aware that he has broken the natural order, and actually he is not made for King. Macbeth acknowledges Banquo’s "wisdom that doth guide his valor / To act in safety," which contrasts sharply with Macbeth's reckless ambition and fallout into

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Our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature” (Act 3. Scene1. Lines 47-49. Page44). To Macbeth, becoming king is worthless unless his position as king is safe. He fears that Banquo’s murder will be revenged by his own murder, and it may reveal the hidden knowledge of his guilt.

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Banquo says, “I fear thou play’ds most foully for’t” (Act 3 sc 1 lines 2-3). I feel that Banquo is seeing that Macbeth is getting everything that he wants and Banquo is noticing that it’s out of the ordinary and he ends up getting suspicious of Macbeth. Macbeth notices that Banquo is getting suspicious of him. Also, the weird sister told Macbeth that one of Banquo sons is going to be king one day. Macbeth doesn’t like the idea of both of these, so Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance.

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Additionally, it also accentuates the unjust nature of Banquo’s murder later on. This is due to the fact that unlike Macbeth, he remained true to his reputation until his death. The night that King Duncan is scheduled to visit Macbeth’s, Lady Macbeth warns him to act normal to avoid suspicion and

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From such actions the audience starts to see Banquo as a less iimportant casualty of the aspiration and brutality of others. However, in reality he isn't as it were a victim of Macbeth’s state of fearful mind but a fatality of what the prophecies said and eventually by his own mind and his true thirst for control. In many ways he is represented as the antithesis of Macbeth. If it wasn't for his own premature fateful death, who knows what Banquo would have done for his son to become king, his death could very well have saved him from a further moral decline. Shakespeare uses the constructions of Macbeth and Banquo to show how and when men react to temptation.

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