Banquo

Who Is Banquo?

Banquo is Macbeth’s comrade-in-arms, a general of the Scottish army who fights alongside Macbeth and earns equal praise for his valor. The witches prophesy to both men, but while Macbeth’s prophecy ignites ambition, Banquo’s troubles him. He’s told that his descendants will be kings, yet he himself will not be king. Unlike Macbeth, Banquo doesn’t actively pursue the witches’ prophecy; he’s cautious about it, suspecting it may be a trap. Yet his very existence becomes a threat to Macbeth. Macbeth murders Banquo out of paranoia, to prevent the prophecy from coming true. Banquo’s death is tragic not because he’s morally grand like Macbeth, but because he’s fundamentally decent and is destroyed for that decency. His ghost haunts Macbeth, representing the murdered innocent who cannot rest and whose presence torments the guilty.

Psychology and Personality

Banquo is psychologically the opposite of Macbeth in many ways. Where Macbeth is ambitious and susceptible to manipulation, Banquo is cautious and skeptical. When the witches make their prophecies, Macbeth immediately believes them and begins plotting to make them true. Banquo, by contrast, says: “If you can look into the seeds of time and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me who neither beg nor fear your favors nor your hate.” He’s suspicious of knowledge that comes from supernatural sources. He knows enough to fear deception.

Banquo is also loyal in a way that Macbeth is not. He’s loyal to Duncan, to the natural order of succession, to the bonds of kinship and honor. When Macbeth murders Duncan, Banquo suspects the truth, yet he doesn’t immediately accuse Macbeth. He maintains the public facade while privately troubled. This loyalty combined with doubt creates psychological tension within him. He suspects his closest friend of regicide, yet he must continue to serve alongside him.

What’s significant about Banquo’s psychology is his capacity for moral clarity. He recognizes that the witches’ prophecies are tempting precisely because they appeal to ambition. He consciously chooses not to pursue the prophecy through evil means. He tells Macbeth (in act 3) that he carries “sorrow in his bosom” because he suspects that Macbeth has murdered to fulfill the witches’ promises. Yet Banquo remains publicly loyal, at least until Macbeth moves against him.

Character Arc

Banquo’s arc is relatively short but complete. He begins as a honored general, equal in courage and reputation to Macbeth. The witches’ prophecy doesn’t corrupt him; it troubles him. He’s aware of the temptation and consciously resists it. He serves Macbeth loyally even while privately suspecting him of murder.

The turning point comes when Macbeth, now king, plots Banquo’s death. Macbeth tells the murderers that Banquo and his son Fleance must be eliminated. Banquo is murdered before he can even learn of the threat. His death is sudden and unjust. He’s killed not because he’s committed any crime, but because Macbeth fears a prophecy might come true through his descendants.

Banquo’s death transforms him into a ghost, a presence that haunts Macbeth. He appears at the banquet, invisible to everyone except Macbeth, a figure of judgment and accusation. His appearances in ghost form suggest that the innocent cannot rest when murdered by the guilty, that some injustices demand acknowledgment even beyond death.

Key Relationships

Banquo’s relationship with Macbeth is central to understanding both characters. They’re comrades, equals in military rank and courage. Yet Banquo suspects Macbeth of murder and gradually distances himself from him. When Macbeth becomes king, Banquo’s loyalty is tested. He maintains public courtesy, but privately he doubts Macbeth’s legitimacy and fears Macbeth’s intentions.

The tragic irony is that Macbeth murders Banquo precisely because Banquo is decent and honest. Macbeth fears that Banquo’s honor and loyalty might threaten his position, yet Banquo has done nothing to warrant such fear except exist and have suspicious descendants. Banquo never plots against Macbeth; he’s murdered for what he might be, not what he is.

Banquo’s relationship with Fleance, his son, is loving but brief. Fleance is Banquo’s pride and the object of his deepest concern. The prophecy that Banquo’s sons will be kings is the source of both comfort and dread for Banquo. He wants his son to succeed, yet he knows that Macbeth might move against Fleance. His love for his son makes him vulnerable to Macbeth’s paranoia.

His relationships with other lords are ones of respect and fellowship. They value his counsel and his courage. When Macbeth becomes king, Banquo must navigate maintaining relationships with other nobles while dealing with his private doubts about Macbeth. This creates social isolation for him; he can’t fully trust Macbeth, yet he can’t openly accuse him without evidence.

What to Talk About with Banquo

On Novelium, you could ask Banquo about the moment he heard the witches’ prophecy. What did he think? Did he ever consider acting to make the prophecy come true?

You might explore his suspicions about Macbeth. When did he first suspect Macbeth of murdering Duncan? What evidence led him to believe it? Why didn’t he immediately accuse Macbeth?

Conversations could center on loyalty and betrayal. How did it feel to be murdered by the man he’d fought beside, the man he’d considered a comrade? Did he understand why Macbeth feared him?

You could ask him about his son Fleance. What does it mean to have a prophecy about your descendants? Does he want his son to be king? Is that ambition, or is it something else?

Most poignantly, you could ask him about his ghost. What’s it like to appear to Macbeth at the banquet? Is he there to judge Macbeth, to haunt him, to demand acknowledgment of the injustice done to him? Does haunting Macbeth bring satisfaction, or does it just extend his torment?

Why Banquo Changes Readers

Banquo is powerful precisely because he’s innocent. He does nothing to deserve death. He’s killed by paranoia and fear, by Macbeth’s conviction that the prophecy must be prevented. This arbitrariness is what makes his death tragic. He’s destroyed not for his actions but for what he represents: the possibility that Macbeth’s crime will rebound, that the natural order cannot be permanently disrupted.

What moves readers about Banquo is his decency and caution in the face of temptation. When offered knowledge of the future through supernatural means, he suspects a trap. When he suspects his friend of murder, he struggles with how to respond. He’s a man trying to do right in impossible circumstances, and he’s destroyed for it.

Banquo also represents the legitimacy that Macbeth lacks. Macbeth must kill Banquo because Banquo’s very existence is a challenge to Macbeth’s kingship. Banquo hasn’t actively challenged Macbeth, but his loyalty to the natural order of succession makes him implicitly opposed to Macbeth’s rule. The fact that Banquo must be eliminated shows how thoroughly Macbeth’s position is built on sand.

Banquo’s ghost is one of the most haunting images in Shakespeare. It’s a silent accusation, a reminder that the innocent don’t simply disappear when they’re murdered. They linger, they demand acknowledgment, they torment the guilty. Macbeth cannot enjoy his ill-gotten throne because Banquo’s ghost won’t allow him to forget the murder that created it.

Famous Quotes

“If you can look into the seeds of time and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me.”

“I fear thou play’dst most foully for’t.”

“There’s none but he whose being I do fear.”

“The shadow of this good deed shall outlive the deeds of darkness.”

“What is’t you fear? Is’t so far to Birnam Wood?”