Banquo Essay Plan

Question 1

Point 1 + quotations for Banquo:

Answer 1

Banquo is presented as being extremely perceptive and intelligent which is shown through his critical responses towards any supernatural encounters that he has throughout the play.

• “look not like th’inhabitants o’th’earth”
• “instruments of darkness”
• “tell us truths; win us with honest trifles”

Question 2

Point 2 + quotations for Banquo:

Answer 2

Shakespeare uses Banquo’s nobility and strong qualities of kingship to act as a foil to Macbeth’s qualities of overindulgence and reckless ambition.

• “royalty of nature”
• “He hath wisdom that doth guide his valour to act in safety” – Macbeth about Banquo

Question 3

Point 3 + quotations for Banquo:

Answer 3

Banquo has a strong sense of self-restraint which prevents him from going down the same path as Macbeth.

• “He seems rapt withall” + “tell me more”
• “be my oracles as well / And set me up in hope? But hush, no more.”
• “I dream’d of the three weird sisters last night.”
• “I think not of them”

Question 4

Point 4 + quotations for Banquo:

Answer 4

Banquo’s morality is presented as holding Macbeth responsible for the violent acts that he has committed through Banquo’s ghost which appears to haunt Macbeth in the banquet scene.

• “never shake / Thy gory locks at me!”
• “Hence horrible shadow, / Unreal mock’ry hence”

Question 5

Point 1 analysis for Banquo:

Answer 5

• Macbeth and Banquo meet the Witches for first time – Banquo perceives their overt evil and dehumanises them in his description
• The Witches physiognomy exposes them as inhuman and evil – Banquo so perceptive he spots this and knows it is indicative of their evil characteristics
• connotations of spiritual misconduct empower Banquo’s scepticism of the Witches – recognises them as agents of evil and is extremely critical of them
• “instruments” show how he understands their power of being able to influence them and therefore chooses to remain highly critical of what they say
• oxymoronic phrase “honest trifles” further emphasises how already upon first meeting of The Witches Banquo understands how they can speak in half-truths and that their actions aren’t in their best interests

Question 6

Point 2 analysis for Banquo:

Answer 6

• “royalty of nature”
• Emphasising his noble and majestic nature
• Macbeth is envious of this nobility that Banquo is able to acquire and maintain as Macbeth cannot do that as he cannot not indulge in his ambitions as they control him and engulf him entirely whereas Banquo able to resist
• Idea is compounded shortly after when Macbeth describes him as “wis[e]” implying a rational and intelligent character
• Favour moral integrity over ego + ambition
• Macbeth initially presented as “worthy” however regresses into a “hell-hound”
• Macbeth has fall from grace
• However, Banquo’s nobility stays consistent throughout as although he has a wave of temptation he doesn’t indulge in the temptation or regress
• Banquo is a foil to Macbeth as Macbeth embodies reckless power, whereas Banquo has self-constraint and control
• Both subject to same temptations from The Witches and are both give prophecies but the exploration of how both deal with these temptations is very contrasting
• Macbeth has reckless tyrannical power within him which he wants to acquire whereas Banquo knows that these temptations are tempting he recognises this but he also recognises that they come from a supernatural force
• Macbeth envious of Banquo’s ability to restrain his ambition and refrain from over-indulgence into “deep desires” – he has a courage, able to recognise and be courageous enough to stand against these manipulative and entrancing prophecies -> ultimately they are set up for his own manipulation and Banquo realises that – recognises that the Witches are agents of evil and chaos

Question 7

Point 3 analysis for Banquo:

Answer 7

• adjective “rapt” has connotations of strong fascination and being spellbound – supernatural is taking a hold of him
• A3, S1 later on in play – Banquo during his soliloquy was adopting same line of thinking that Macbeth went down on with his “black and deep desires”
• however Banquo realises his evil intention brewing and stops himself before he goes down the same path as Macbeth
• “I dream’d of the three weird sisters last night.” – Banquo
• Banquo’s humanity is made clear
• He is still plagued by thoughts of the witches’ prophecies – seems superstition is taking a hold of him and trespassing on his unconscious
• Him not acting on any of these prophecies shows his morality – still has guilt conscience and very honest in talking about it
• In contrast, Macbeth who claims “I think not of them” he is honest, characterising him as moral in order to amplify Macbeth’s dishonesty and deception

Question 8

Point 4 analysis for Banquo:

Answer 8

• Banquo’s strong sense of morality presented as making Macbeth feel so insecure in himself even after his death that he was susceptible to seeing his ghost – highlights how Banquo is the epitome of maturity and truthfulness
• exclamatory phrase shows shock of Macbeth and vulnerability when he see’s Banquo
• “gory locks” – hair covered in blood, “gory” gruesome imagery, serves as a reminder to Macbeth of the brutal way he was murdered which Macbeth ordered
• Banquo’s ghost is used as a tool to intensify Macbeth’s guilt
• shows how Banquo has shaken him making him appear as mad