The characteristics of Macbeth and Banquo differ, though they face most of the same challenges. The play Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare in 1606. There are significant differences between Banquo and Macbeth’s characteristics with the witches, Different prophecies with the witches, Desire to Murder, and Temptation with Ambition. The witches provide a different prophecy for both Macbeth and Banquo. Three witches, or supernatural phenomena’s called the weird sisters in Shakespeare’s historical source – book, they are related to the three Fates in Classical mythology. Productions have represented them very differently: as grotesque and frightening; comic and ridiculous; young and beautiful or masked and hideous. As Macbeth and Banquo …show more content…
VI “intro”). Macbeth and Banquo face different challenges when it comes to handling temptation with ambition. In Macbeth we see more clearly than we are able to see in real life, the effects of uncontrolled ambition on a man. Macbeth is, except for his ambition, noble in nature. He has full knowledge of right and wrong, he knows that he has committed a very great crime by murdering Duncan. In the book Shakespeare shows us how Macbeth gradually becomes hardened to his crimes and yet how he suffers from fears which he has brought on himself. Macbeth is known as a mighty and ambitious warrior, one of the leaders of Duncan’s army. A witches’ prophecy leads him to murder Duncan so that he himself can be king, but his conscience afterwards will never him rest. Banquo is known as Macbeth’s co-commander in Duncan’s army. He also hears the witches’ prophecies, but resists their temptation. Macbeth speaks very little when first the witches, and then Ross, hail him as “Thane of Cawdor”. Perhaps he is stunned to silence by his good fortune. He soon begins to admit to a suggestion. Some horrible imaginings then he says the word “murder” to himself. Macbeth continues to fight the ambition with murder but Macbeth’s desire is to not give into the desire he has because of the prophecies. Banquo’s temptation is to not believe in the witches prophecies, but to take the matter into his own hands. But Banquo fought the Dark side of Ambition and overcame his