macbeth Flashcards
who is banquo
banquo is a brave noble.the witches prophecy told his children will inherit the scotish throne.
how is banquo similar to macbeth
he is similar to macbeth in that they both have ambitious thoughts, however banquo demonstrates restraint as he doesnt act upon these desires
how is banquo the opposite to macbeth
the character of banquo is the opposite to macbeth ,as he represents the route macbeth chose not to take-the path where ambition doesn’t lead to death and betrayal, which is why macbeth is haunted by the ghost of banquo and not duncan
what is banquo symbolic of
banquo represents the man who is not a slave to his desires but someone who is able to resist temptation
what is banquos reaction to the witches prophecy
banquo will “neither beg nor fear your favours nor your hate” as he is indifferent to their prophecies. he takes then witches for what they physically appear to be-ragged old women. he doesnt trust them so he perceives their prophecies with sceptisism.
how is Macbeth seen as different with their interactions with the witches
we can see the differences between the both men when we see their reactions to the witches prophecies. Macbeth is “rapt withal” which bears connotations of being entranced and absorbed by the witches words.
how does Shakespeare use temptation in the play with Banquo and Macbeth
Shakespeare presents temptation as the heart of the play. it is vital for Banquo to be faced with temptation as it shows that he is morally strong;his strength doesn’t come from an easy path but by resisting temptation.
Macbeth’s hamartia(fatal flaw) is that he is too weak to resist the influence of the witches or Lady Macbeth
how could this be seen as a message from Shakespeare to the audience
that everyone is capable of evil but we must resist it. despite Banquo being tempted by the promise of being”the root and father of many kings” he wont reveal the evil prophecy that promises him attractive things
what does banquo resisting the temptations of evil offered by the supernatural(witches) mean to the audience at the time
This would have appeased the audience existed and was among people trying to tempt them.So, the witches can be seen as a symbol of temptation to sin which banquo,as a moral superior is able to resist.
how can we know that banquo views the witches as agents of the devil
when he finds that the prophecy is coming true he responds with”what, can the devil speak true” implying he views them as agents of the devil and sees them for what they are-supporting James 1 view in daemonologie that witches are controlled by the devil
how would banquo have been perceived to the contemporary audience
A moralistic character with views in line with the church. He calls upon god for help in resisting temptation”merciful powers,restrain me the cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in repose”Shakespeare uses theme of temptation which has biblical connotations
how is banquo aligned with Jesus
he is less able to resist evil when he is asleep shown by the comment “i dreamed of the 3 weird sisters last night”(showing he subconsciously thinks about the witches prophecy) but instead ofhiding this he asks god for help in remaining moral. this has biblical connotations as jesus was tempted THREE times by the devil and resisted(similar to banquo and 3 witches);perhaps Shakespeare is attempting t draw parallels to Jesus and banquo
