banquo

Question 1

how is banquo the opposite of macbeth?

Answer 1

he has ambitions thoughts, but banquo doesn’t take action on these thoughs
he represents the route that macbeth chose not to take, where ambition doesn’t lead to betrayal

Question 2

what is banquo symbolic of?

Answer 2

a man’s ability to resist temptation

Question 3

upon meeting the witches banquo will

Answer 3

“neither beg not fear your favours nor your hate”
meaning he is indifferent to their prophecies

Question 4

banquo is macbeth’s…

Answer 4

antithesis

Question 5

the audience being able to view the contrasting responses to temptation

Answer 5

allows them to decide which man is the morally righteous one

Question 6

temptation is portrayed by shakespeare as the _____ of the play

Answer 6

crux

Question 7

what is macbeth’s hamartia?

Answer 7

he is too weak to resist the influences of lady macbeth and the witches

Question 8

why is it vital for banquo to be faced with temptation and ambition?

Answer 8

to prove his moral strength

Question 9

what is arguably shakespeare’s message through banquo?

Answer 9

everyone is capable of evil and must resist it

Question 10

banquo does what to the contemporary audience by resisting temptation?

Answer 10

appeases them

Question 11

the contemporary audience believed what about the devil?

Answer 11

he existed among them as humans trying to tempt them

Question 12

“what, can the devil speak true”

Answer 12

what banquo says when he finds out the prophecy is coming true
implies he views witches as agents of the devil
supports James I’s view in daemonologie that the witches are controlled by evil

Question 13

“merciful powers, restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in response”

Answer 13

banquo calls upon god to help him resist temptation
he is seen by a contemporary audience as a moralistic character because his views align with the christian church

Question 14

banquo is noble and has a… “____”

Answer 14

“royalty of nature”

Question 15

“keep my allegiance clear”

Answer 15

he is strategic- using carefully chosen and non commital language
we don’t know whether allegiance refers to king duncan or any king (macbeth?)

Question 16

“I dream’d of the three weird sisters last night”

Answer 16

he subconsciously thinks about their prophecies.
shows banquo is more vunerable to temptation in his sleep, but instead of hiding it, he confesses (religious connotations)
positive masculinity!

Question 17

banquo’s sacrifice—
earlier in the play…

Answer 17

shakespeare uses formal language “boy” and “sir” between fleance and banquo, implying they are not that close.

Question 18

banquo’s sacrifice—
“thou mayst avenge”

Answer 18

banquo wants fleance to avenge his death and perhaps take the crown and fullfill his prophecy. was the sacrifice out of love or ambition

Question 19

“instruments of darkness tell us truths;

Answer 19

win us with honest trifles to betray’s in deepest consequence”

Question 20

banquo states to macbeth that “my duties” are “forever knit”

Answer 20

his loyalty is not fixed to any king, but to himself

Question 21

“lesser than macbeth but greater”
- the witches

Answer 21

lesser in status but greater in morals

Question 22

“I fear thou played’st most foully for it”

Answer 22

he suspects macbeth

Question 23

the witches are “there to meet with macbeth”

Answer 23

macbeth naturally feels more susceptible to the prophecies because they’re directed at him