Character- Banquo Flashcards
Quotations + Grade 9 Analysis
“Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.”
Act 1, Scene 3 – Witches to Banquo
-Paradox: Banquo won’t be king, but his descendants will.
-Foreshadowing: Hints at the Stuart line (King James I).
-Grade 9 Insight: Unlike Macbeth, Banquo doesn’t act on the prophecy, showing his moral restraint and belief that fate should unfold naturally, not be forced.
Theme: Fate vs Free Will
“If you can look into the seeds of time, / And say which grain will grow and which will not…”
Act 1, Scene 3
-Metaphor: Life as seeds—some will grow, some won’t.
-Curiosity vs caution: Banquo is intrigued but remains skeptical.
-Grade 9 Insight: Shakespeare contrasts Banquo’s philosophical thinking with Macbeth’s rashness—Banquo recognises the witches’ potential but doesn’t leap to ambition.
Theme: Fate vs Free Will
“The instruments of darkness tell us truths; / Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s / In deepest consequence.”
Act 1, Scene 3
-Metaphor: Witches = “instruments of darkness”.
-Dramatic irony: Banquo warns Macbeth, but Macbeth ignores him.
-Grade 9 Insight: Banquo sees that truth can be used as a trap. His wisdom sets him apart from Macbeth—he understands that not all truth is good, especially when it comes from dark forces.
Theme: Appearance vs Reality
“So I lose none / In seeking to augment it, but still keep / My bosom franchised and allegiance clear.”
Act 2, Scene 1
-Metaphor: “Bosom franchised” = keeping his conscience and honour free.
-Juxtaposition: He’s willing to support Macbeth, but only if it doesn’t cost his soul.
-Grade 9 Insight: Shakespeare uses Banquo to represent the moral opposite of Macbeth—a man who values loyalty, conscience, and honour above ambition.
Theme: Loyalty, Honour & Morality
