Charachter Analysis Banquo Essay, Research Paper
Throughout Shakespeare ’ s Macbeth, Banquo is a foil to Macbeth. Banquo ’ s logic and restraint contrasts Macbeth ’ s break outing aspiration and foolhardiness. Shakespeare created two opposite characters, Banquo and Macbeth who server to foil each other. A foil is person or something that serves to contrast another ; Banquo and Macbeth foil each other. Macbeth is eager, determined, and aggressive. Banquo is reserved, unagitated, rational and cautious.
The drama opens with Macbeth and Banquo returning from a conflict with the Norwegians. They both receive really ambitious prognostications from the three enchantresss. Banquo takes his anticipation in half-jest and cautiousnesss Macbeth from puting excessively much religion in the enchantresss. By the terminal of the drama, Macbeth is convinced by the three eldritch enchantresss and by his married woman to carry through the prognostications ( that he will be thane of Glamis and king ) . Banquo and Macbeth react otherwise, Macbeth considers killing the male monarch, and does, while Banquo calmly ignores such impulses.
Act I, scene two, sets the foolhardy and fast-paced temper for the remainder of the drama. a hurt captain Tells King Duncan how Macbeth uprightly killed Macdonwald and how he and Banquo subsequently withstood an onslaught from the Norse King. Duncan sees Banquo and Macbeth as heroes and honest soldiers. To honor “ weather Macbeth ” ( move 1, sc.ii, 17 ) Duncan tells Ross to give the treasonists former place ( ” Thane of Cawdor ” ) to Macbeth. Macbeth and Banquo are both valorous soldiers and are about peers ( their lone difference is that Macbeth is credited with killing Macdonwald ) .
Scene three is important to the remainder of the drama and to Banquo ’ s function as Macbeth ’ s foil. In this scene, the three enchantresss greet Macbeth and Banquo with anticipations for each: Macbeth is referred to as the “ Thane of Cawdor ” ( which Ross has non yet delivered ) , the “ Thane of Glamis ” ( his present rubric ) and, most notably, as “ King afterlife ” while Banquo is told that “ thou shalt get male monarchs, though thou be none ” ( move 1, sciii,68 ) ( intending that he will ne’er be king but finally father male monarchs ) . After their meeting with the three enchantresss, Macbeth and Banquo meet Ross and Angus who inform Macbeth of his new rubric as Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth and Banquo so discourse their anticipations and Banquo once more warns Macbeth to be wary of the enchantresss:
“ But ’ Ti strange. And frequently, to win us to our injury, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to bewray ’ s in deepest consequence.+ Cousins, a word, I pray you. ” ( move 1, Sc. three, 134-139 )
This scene is cardinal for the remainder of the drama ; the enchantresss make anticipations that set the phase and temper for the remainder of the drama.
Macbeth besides muses to himself the possibility of killing Duncan. Disturbed by his ain evil, he resolves to allow destine take its class: “ If opportunity will hold me king, why, opportunity may coronate me without my stir. ” ( move 1, sc.iii,157-160 )
The following noteworthy happening of Banquo equilibrating Macbeth is in act two, scene one. Banquo tells Fleance that he is afraid to kip and that he is disturbed by his battles with “ cursed ideas ” from the enchantresss. Macbeth enters, and Banquo tells him that he dreamed of the enchantresss and is scared by the truth in their anticipations. Macbeth responds by lying to Banquo, that he “ believe non of them ” when in fact he was convinced to kill Duncan, by his wif
vitamin E in the old scene ( act 1, sc.vii ) . This exchange is of import because it shows that Banquo has besides thought of the witches’ chitchat. Yet he contains himself, going rational and cautious. Conversely, Macbeth has already plotted to kill the male monarch and carry through the prognostication.
In act II, scene three, Banquo ( after Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kill Duncan ) , Banquo responds to the intelligence with hurt and confusion but given more clip, he plans farther action to weed-out the treasonist and gives grounds of his intuition of Macbeth:
“ And when we have our bare infirmities hid, that suffer in exposure, allow us run into and oppugn this most bloody piece of work to cognize it farther. Fears and consciences shake us. In the great manus of God I stand, and thence against the undivulged pretence I fight of faithless malice. ” ( move 2, sc.iii, 148-154 )
Here Banquo intimations that he has intuitions and he advises people to take clip to compose their ideas and formalise their intuitions before action is taken. This shows that Banquo is a composure, logical and reserved character.
In act III, scene one, Banquo enters foremost and talk to himself observing that all the anticipations the Wyrd enchantresss made for Macbeth have come true. Without being convinced, if Macbeth had killed Duncan, he articulates his intuition of Macbeth: “ I fear thou played ’ st most insultingly for ‘ t. ” ( move 3, i,3 ) Banquo besides acknowledges his anticipation but affirms that he will make nil to rush it ’ s coming:
” but that myself should be the root and male parent of many male monarchs. If there come truth from them ( as upon thee, Macbeth, their addresss shine ) why, by the truths on thee made good, may they non by my prophets every bit good, and set me up in hope? But stillness, no more. ” ( move 3, sc.i, 5-10 )
After a short exchange with Macbeth, Banquo exits and Macbeth speaks with the two hired bravos. Macbeth makes it clear that they will kill Banquo, but he attempts to mask his ground by converting them that “ that it was he, in the times past, which held you so under luck … ” ( move 3, sc.i, 84-85 )
In act three, scene three, Banquo is, as arranged my Macbeth, murdered by the bravos while Fleance manages to get away.
Banquo ’ s decease is the ultimate contrast to his personality: He warns Macbeth of the built-in danger in believing the enchantresss and although he suffers from the same wicked ideas as Macbeth, he resolves non to move headlong. Macbeth, on the other manus, is prodded ( persuaded ) by his married woman and lured by the evident truths of the three enchantresss.
Macbeth and Banquo each have opposite personalities: Macbeth is ambitious and eager to carry through his prognostications as opposed to Banquo, who is reserved, thoughtful and cautious. Banquo often warns Macbeth of the dangers in swearing the enchantresss, but Macbeth ignores him. Each of these characters was presented with a similar state of affairs and they reacted oppositely. Their actions give us insight to their character ( specific chief actions ) . Banquo ’ s appeasement and logical action reflects his nature while Macbeth ’ s rash actions uncover his opposite character. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses Banquo and Macbeth ’ s personalities to contrast and equilibrate the drama. The character foils in Macbeth are an illustration of Shakespeare ’ s preference for strongly showing two sides of an statement ( the famous, “ to be or non to be ” address from Hamlet, for illustration ) .
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