Some readers find Lady Macbeth a fascinating portrait of a horrible
murderer. They see her actions as frighteningly amoral, and her
madness and death as divine justice. Others see Lady Macbeth as a
tragic figure. They are awed by her strength, her determination, and
her resourcefulness. To them, the tragedy is that she wastes such
qualities on evil deeds. And by the end, when her mind is rotten
with madness, they can say she has struggled with her guilt every bit
as much as her husband has with his.
MACBETH: BANQUO
We can learn a lot about Macbeth by looking at Banquo. Banquo is a
man of integrity. He is brave in battle but cautious in his actions.
It is valuable to look at how he and Macbeth react differently to
similar circumstances.
At the beginning of the play, they are equals. Macbeth and Banquo
are leading Duncan's army--they fight side by side. They seem to be
equally brave in combat.
Banquo and Macbeth meet the witches together, and Banquo's response
to the prophesies is wiser than Macbeth's. He is skeptical from the
beginning. When the witches first appear, he taunts them: "Speak
then to me, who neither beg nor fear / Your favors nor your hate."
(Act I, Scene iii, lines 61-62). After the prediction that Macbeth
will become Thane of Cawdor comes true, Banquo is more cautious. He
warns his friend not to be won over by small truths only to be
betrayed in more important matters. He senses the women are evil,
and he expects a trick.
Banquo has an honest and trusting nature. It never occurs to him
that Macbeth may want to kill Duncan to make the prophesy come true.
Later, even when he suspects that Macbeth killed the old King, Banquo
does not suspect that he himself is in any danger.
It is interesting to note that Banquo does have some interest in the
things the "weird sisters" promise him. He tells Macbeth that he
dreamed about them. He also wonders if, since their prophesy for
Macbeth came true, he should hope that his descendents will be kings.
But Banquo refuses to compromise his honor and his integrity to get
the things he wants. He is willing to wait for the fullness of time
to bring about whatever is coming. Also notice that Banquo, unlike
Macbeth, does not hide the fact that he sometimes thinks about the
three witches.
So it seems that Shakespeare formed Banquo's character the way he did
to show how a man of honor would respond to the kind of temptation
that Macbeth gives in to. There is probably another reason why
Banquo is portrayed as he is. historically, Banquo was an ancestor
