The Ghost of Banquo by Théodore Chassériau.

Banquo is a character in the play Macbeth (1606), by William Shakespeare. Banquo is at first a friend to Macbeth, and is with him when he meets the Three Witches. the witches tell Banquo that he will not be King himself, but that his descendants will be. Later, Macbeth sees Banquo as a threat to his lust for power and has him murdered, but Banquo's son, Fleance, escapes. Image File history File links Banquo. ... Image File history File links Banquo. ... Théodore Chassériau (1819-1856), French painter, was born in Santo Domingo. ... Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath by Théodore Chassériau. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Fleance is a fictional character in Shakespeares The Tragedy of Macbeth. ...

Shakespeare borrowed the character from Holinshed's Chronicles, a history of Britain published in 1587. However, in Chronicles Banquo is an accomplice to Macbeth in the murder of the King, rather than an enemy to Macbeth and loyal to the king. Shakespeare may have changed this aspect of his character in order to please King James I, who was said to be a descendant of Banquo.

Banquo is often interpreted as a foil and a contrast to Macbeth, resisting evil where Macbeth embraces it.

Source

Banquo was a character in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587), a history of the British monarchy which Shakespeare referred to in many of his history plays. In the Chronicles, Banquo is an accomplice in Macbeth's murder, rather than the noble and loyal man portrayed by Shakespeare. There are several reasons Shakespeare may have made this change in character. One, Banquo was believed to be the ancestor of the Stuart line of monarchs, of which the current monarch at the writing of Macbeth, King James I, was a part. To portray Banquo, the King's ancestor, as a murderer would have been risky business. Also, Shakespeare may have altered Banquo's character simply because there was no dramatic need for another accomplice to the murder, but there was a need to provide a dramatic contrast to Macbeth—a role which many scholars argue is filled by Banquo.^[1] Other authors of the time who wrote about Banquo, such as Jean de Schelandre in his Stuartide, also changed history by portraying Banquo as a noble man rather than a murderer.^[2] Banquo's Stuart descent was disproven in the 19th century, when it was discovered that the Fitzalans actually descended from a Breton family.^[3] Whether or not Banquo, Thane of the Scottish province of Lochaber, actually existed remains in doubt. However, his name is still spoken of in the area around Fort William, Scotland, and there is even a path lined with beech trees near Torcastle called Banquo's Walk. Raphael Holinshed (died c. ... Traditionally, the plays of William Shakespeare have been grouped into three categories: tragedies, comedies, and histories. ... Stuart Osborne may be:. a male Mary Sue. ... James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary... Jean de Schelandre (c. ... Map of runestones raised over a thegn. ... Lochaber (Scottish Gaelic, Loch Abar) refers to a large area of the central and western Scottish Highlands. ... // Fort William (Scots Gaelic: An Gearasdan, The Garrison) is the largest town in the west highlands of Scotland. ... For other uses, see Beech (disambiguation). ...

Role in the play

At the beginning, Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, and Banquo lead Duncan's army, bravely fighting side by side. Banquo is with Macbeth during the encounter with the Weird Sisters near the beginning of the play. He asks them if they are real and challenges them to predict his future. The witches state Macbeth will be king, and that Banquo will never himself be king, but will beget a line of kings. Banquo remains skeptical after the incident, asking if evil can ever speak the truth. He warns Macbeth that wickedness often offers a small hope to men in order to catch them in a deadly trap. When Macbeth kills the King in order to take the throne, Banquo, the only one aware of his encounter with the witches, leaves it in the hands of God, unsure whether Macbeth is a killer or not. He offers his respects to the new King Macbeth and pledges loyalty. Later, however, disturbed that Banquo's descendants and not his own will rule Scotland, Macbeth sends murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. However, Fleance escapes. The ghost of Banquo later returns to haunt Macbeth at a banquet in Act Three, Scene Four. A terrified Macbeth sees him, while the apparition is invisible to his guests. For other uses, see Macbeth (disambiguation). ... Donnchad mac Crínáin (Anglicised Duncan) (born 15 August 1001 died 14 August 1040)[1] was king of Alba. ... The Weird Sisters, (sometimes Wyrd Sisters or Three Weird Sisters), is the Germanic mythological group name given to the Nordic fates, or Norns. ... This article is about the country. ... Fleance is a fictional character in Shakespeares The Tragedy of Macbeth. ... For other uses, see Ghost (disambiguation). ...

Analysis

Macbeth and Banquo Meeting the Weird Sisters.

In Act two, scene one, Banquo meets his son Fleance and asks him to take both his sword and his dagger ("Hold, take my sword...Take thee that too."). He also explains that he has been having trouble sleeping due to "cursed thoughts that nature / gives way to in repose!" On Macbeth's approach, however, he demands the sword returned to him quickly. Scholars have interpreted this to mean that Banquo has been dreaming of murdering the King as Macbeth's accomplice in order to take the throne for his own family, as the Three Witches prophesied to him. His good nature is so revolted by these thoughts that he gives his sword and dagger to Fleance to be sure they do not come true, but is so nervous at Macbeth's approach that he demands them back.^[4] Other scholars have responded that Banquo's dreams had less to do with killing the King and more to do with Macbeth. These argue that Banquo was merely setting aside his sword for the night, when Macbeth approached. Banquo, having had dreams about Macbeth's deeds, takes back his sword as a precaution in this case.^[5] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Many scholars see Banquo as a foil and a contrast to Macbeth. Macbeth, for example, eagerly accepts the Three Witches' prophecy as true and seeks to help it along. Banquo, on the other hand, doubts the prophecies and the intentions of these seemingly evil creatures. Whereas Macbeth places his hope in the prediction that he will be King, Banquo argues that evil often offers gifts which lead only to betrayal and destruction if sought. Banquo steadily resists the temptations of evil within the play, praying to heaven for help, while Macbeth seeks the gifts of Darkness, and prays that evil powers will aid him. Macbeth eventually sees that Banquo can no longer be trusted to aid him in his evil, and poses a threat to his throne. Thus he has him murdered.^[1]

In the scene when the witches show Macbeth an apparation of the murdered Banquo, along with him are shown eight of his descendants. There is deep significance in this, as King James, currently sitting on the throne, was separated from Banquo by nine generations. What Shakespeare writes here thus amounts to a strong support of James' right to the throne by lineage, and for the people of Shakespeare's day, a very real fulfillment of the witches' prophecy to Banquo that his sons would take the throne.^[6] This apparition is also deeply unsettling to Macbeth, who not only wants the throne for himself, but also desires to father a line of Kings.^[7]

References