Hello everybody, and welcome to today’s video where we’re going to look at the character
of Banquo in ‘Macbeth’. One of Banquo’s functions in the play is
to operate as a foil to Macbeth. A foil is a character who contrasts another character,
usually the protagonist, to highlight certain things about them.
In many ways, Shakespeare presents Banquo as similar to Macbeth. Both are captains in
the army, referred to by Duncan as ‘Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo’ in Act 1 Scene
2. Both are brave warriors, as explained by the sergeant in the same scene, who tells
of how ‘they were / As cannons overcharged with double cracks’. Both are well respected
– in Act 1 Scene 4 Duncan refers to Banquo as ‘Noble’ – the same word used two
scenes earlier to describe Macbeth. However, where the characters really differ is in their
actions following meeting the witches in Act 1 Scene 3.
Macbeth receives three prophecies, which include the statement that he will one day be king,
and Banquo receives one: that although he won’t be a king, his descendants will be.
The witches prophesy to both Macbeth and Banquo, but Banquo is sceptical and wary, telling
the witches that he does ‘neither beg nor fear / Your favours or your hate’. Macbeth’s
reaction is very different. When the witches prophecy he will one day be king, Banquo asks
Macbeth ‘why do you start’ Meaning why are you so startled? The reaction of Macbeth
is all the more notable when compared to that of Banquo.
Despite the fact that both of these men, of equal position in the social hierarchy, receive
prophecies from the ‘weird sisters’, only Macbeth takes matters into his own hands and
embarks on his bloody campaign of violence. Banquo doesn’t succumb to the prophecies
in the same way as Macbeth because he doesn’t have the same hamartia or fatal flaw (see
my character analysis on Macbeth for more about that). It appears that Banquo is not
ambitious in the way that Macbeth is. Shakespeare’s source material for the play
was Holinshed’s Chronicles, a history book in which there is a re-telling of the true
story of King Macbeth of Scotland. But Shakespeare’s play differs from Holinshed when it comes
to the character of Banquo who, in the source material, was part of the plot to kill the
king. Shakespeare alters this in his own play to paint Banquo in a positive light, possibly
because it was believed that King James I was a descendant of Banquo. Remember, Banquo’s
prophecy was that his descendants would be kings. Shakespeare’s own king was said to
be one of these. In this light, Banquo would have to be presented in a sympathetic manner
by Shakespeare. However, there is another way to look at the
character of Banquo. In Act 2 Scene 1, Banquo asks his son Fleance
to ‘take my sword’. He admits he does not want to go to sleep, because of the ‘cursed
thoughts’ he’s been having. What are these cursed thoughts? Well, a few moments later
Banquo informs the newly arrived Macbeth ‘I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters’.
When we put all this together, could it be that Banquo gave his sword to Fleance because
he couldn’t trust himself not to do something evil with it?
Shortly after the murder of King Duncan, Banquo remarks that Macbeth has it all now, but fears
that he played ‘most foully for’t’. This is an acknowledgement that Banquo suspects
Macbeth. But why does Banquo not sound the alarm? Why does he not raise objections or
even refuse to support the new king, like Macduff does? A line in the previous Act gives
us a good idea. In Act 2 Scene 1 Macbeth tells Banquo that
he should ‘cleave to my consent’ (meaning ‘stay loyal to me’) and when the time
comes it will work out well for him. Banquo’s response is very vague and he simply says
that, so long as he loses no honour by doing so, he will. So Banquo believes he stands
to gain from Macbeth’s position as king, and this is perhaps why he keeps his thoughts
to himself about the evil acts his friend has committed.
Ultimately, however, Banquo’s resistance to evil and his goodness are what cost him
his life. When Macbeth agonises over the decision to kill his friend he refers to Banquo’s
‘wisdom that doth guide his valour’ in Act 3 Scene 1. Macbeth is acknowledging that
the thing he fears most about Banquo is his good and wise nature. Many critics observe
that Macbeth, representing evil and Banquo, representing good, cannot exist together – only
one can survive. Whether Shakespeare was simply rewriting the
history books in order to please King James I or rewriting his source material to tell
an even better story, Banquo is a character that is often misunderstood in terms of his
complexity. He is good where Macbeth is evil, and he leaves things up to chance where Macbeth
takes fate into his own hands. The character of Banquo complements Macbeth insofar as he
highlights Macbeth’s downfall but Banquo himself is no angel. His actions and his indecision
in the face of treason paint him out to be a more complex character that we may imagine.
Perhaps Shakespeare is allowing for the fact that nobody is perfect, no person is all good
or all evil but the conflict within Macbeth that leads him to evil deeds appears to have
the opposite result in Banquo, yet more evidence of Shakespeare’s fascination with complex
characters, contrasts and opposites. If you found this video useful, please subscribe
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