banquo

Question 1

what does shakespeare use banquo as

Answer 1

-banquo is used to contrast macbeth and is a foil to macbeth
-illustrated to the audience what macbeth should’ve done

Question 2

after banquo receives his prophecies he states
“can the devil speak true?”

themes-supernatural

Answer 2

-rhetorical question illustrates his distrust within the witches intentions, contrasts macbeth with the seeds of ambition
-metaphor “the devil” shows how the supernatural is evil,devilish and untrustworthy
-reflects the jacobian distrust of witches

Question 3

“the instruments of darkness tell us truth”

themes-supernatural,appearance vs reality

Answer 3

-the metaphor shows us that the witches are manipulative that tell us truths to gain our trust and then misguide us
-banquo does not trust the appearance of the witches,he knows they are agents of chaos
-once again banquo illustrates what macbeth should’ve done
-contextually the audience at the time would believe similarly to banquo

Question 4

“in heaven the candles are all out”

theme-supernatural,divine right of kings

Answer 4

-foreshadows that something strange against god will happen(killing of duncan)
-banquo recognises something is off and how macbeth is about to violate the divine right of kings

Question 5

“In the great hand of god…i fight of treasonous malice”

theme-ambition,divine right of kings

Answer 5

-shows banquo’s outrage which contrasts macbeth
-shows how banquo is uncorrupted and contrasts macbeth’s complete corruption
-banquo is horrified that the divine right of kings has been violated,this echos how the jacobian society would react at the same time

Question 6

when banquo starts having creeping doubts about macbeth he states
“i fear thou play’dst most foully for it”

-ambition,reality vs appearance, great chain of being

Answer 6

-alliteration of “f” echos what the witches say at the beginning, this alliteration also shows how he is starting to doubt macbeth
-banquo is shocked at the possibility that macbeth has developed enough ambition to commit regicide
-banquo is starting to question appearances of macbeth and LM
-banquo is wondering if macbeth has deliberately violated his place in the great chain of being

Question 7

quotes for banquo

Answer 7

-“can the devil speak true?”
-“the instruments of darkness tell us truth”
-“in heaven the candles are all out”
-“In the great hand of god…i fight of treasonous malice”
-“i fear thou play’dst most foully for it”