Banquo+(character)

=Banquo=

toc

Banquo is at first an ally to Macbeth, as they are both generals in the King's army and are together when they meet the witches. After the prophesy, Macbeth feels threatened by Banquo and so their friendship disintegrates. Banquo's life is short-lived, but he returns later as a ghost to haunt the conscience of Macbeth.

"Shakespeare borrowed the character of Banquo from //Holinshed's Chronicles//, a history of Britain published by [|Raphael Holinshed] in 1587. In //Chronicles// Banquo is an accomplice to Macbeth in the murder of the king, rather than a loyal subject of the king who is seen as an enemy by Macbeth. Shakespeare may have changed this aspect of his character in order to please [|King James], who was thought at the time to be a descendant of the real Banquo. Critics often interpret Banquo's role in the play as being a [|foil] to Macbeth, resisting evil where Macbeth embraces it. Sometimes, however, his motives are unclear, and some critics question his purity. He does nothing to accuse Macbeth of murdering the king, even though he has reason to believe Macbeth is responsible. Banquo has been played by a variety of actors on the stage and in film, including [|Canada Lee], [|Minoru Chiaki], and [|Martin Shaw]." - [|Wikipedia]

=Your essay question:=

To what extent is Banquo a victim of Macbeth and his lust for power? How is he an embodiment of 'good' to Macbeth's 'evil'? How does Shakespeare demonstrate this through characterisation? Provide evidence from the text.

=For further research:=

[|An analysis of Banquo on eNotes]

[|An analysis of Banquo on Shmoop]

[|An analysis of Banquo on SparkNotes]

[|Click here to watch Banquo live in action!]

=Bibliography:=

http://www.enotes.com/macbeth/banquo-character-analysis

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/study.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXcT7nrpglw