Significance Of Banquo In Macbeth

Shakespeare makes Banquo significant through the play by having him serve as a dramatic foil to Macbeth. While they start off to be similar the contrast in both of their characters grows and becomes more apparent. Macbeth and Banquo serve as equals until Macbeth acts upon his ambitions, losing his honour and his sanity, which Banquo keeps. The qualities and beliefs he stands for is what Macbeth in due course, sacrifices. Ultimately the contradiction between the two is an apt way to get the audience’s advertence on the aspects of Macbeths character that Shakespeare wants to accentuate.

Shakespeare highlights Banquo’s significance through his honesty. In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to him as he gives a brief dialogue about his first

After the witches tell Banquo and Macbeth what is to come in their future, Ross announces Macbeth as the Thane of Cawdor, confirming the witches prophecies. When their predictions come true Banquo exclaims “What, can the devil speak truth?” Devils are creatures that personify evil, seen as a hostile and destructive force. Banquo calling the witches “devil” demonstrates his ability to defer between the good and the immoral, unlike Macbeth who takes their predictions to heart. Not long after Banquo states that the “Instruments of darkness tell us truths.” He uses the plural for “truths” deliberately to interpret that there could different t versions of what the witches foretold, while at the same time saying what Macbeth wants to hear, as he has some ambitions of becoming King, but that it could happen in one or more ways, demonstrating his insightfulness. Macbeth, on the other hand, immediately thinks of regicide when hearing he will become King, as he isn’t able to open his mind to any other viable options. When thinking of regicide, he does it in is aside, as he turns to secrecy when any dangerous thoughts come to mind. This indicates the start of Macbeth and Banquo growing apart and becoming different from one another in contrast to the start of the play where they are “noble

In Act 2 Scene 1, Banquo discusses how he has been unable to sleep, as “cursed thoughts”, referring to the witches, have been flooding his head until he asks the “Merciful powers” to rid him of them. The word “merciful” has religious connotations, used to refer to Gods forgiveness of his creatures’ misdemeanours, demonstrating his intrinsic goodness. Banquo asks God to forgive him and rid him of the act of thinking about the witches, as he thinks of them to be “devils”, acknowledging their evil and wanting to completely detach those thoughts from himself for fear of becoming dishonourable. In contrast, Macbeth talks about how “witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate’s offerings”, allying himself with sorcery and murder. To ally oneself with witchcraft at the time the play is set would spotlight how significantly evil someone would have to be as those who were thought to be witches would be burned. In the middle of the scene Macbeth asks Banquo for his complete loyalty in return of a higher title. Instead, Banquo emphasises his loyalty to Duncan and how he will never do anything to dishonour or betray him, as he understands that accepting Macbeths offer and pledging his loyalty tit him goes against his values of being a justly person. When conversing with Macbeth he uses short, simple sentences and becomes artificially polite in contrast to when they were previously equals and talked