Banquo
English Lit: AQA GCSE Macbeth, topic 6.1.7
Banquo - Distrusts the Supernatural
Banquo distrusts the witches and doesn't try to tempt fate.
‘The instruments of darkness'
- ‘Oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths’ (1,3).
- This quote suggests that Banquo doesn`t know whether they should trust the witches. He fears that they may have made the prophecies to hurt Macbeth.
- Jacobean audiences feared the supernatural, and Banquo echoes this fear. He does not allow them to manipulate him, and does not show a lot of interest in the prophecies. Because of this, Banquo is percieved as a good, God-fearing character.
‘My oracles as well'
- ‘May they not be my oracles as well / And set me up in hope?’ (3,1)
- This quote indicates that Banquo hopes that the witches’ prophecies (predictions) will come true for him. However, he does not show any desire to force them.
- He does not really engage in the supernatural.
Banquo's Ghost
In Act 3, Scene 4 Banquo’s ghost appears to Macbeth. We don’t know whether this is real or something Macbeth imagines. The ghost appears in the seat where Macbeth should be sitting.
'Thy gory locks'
- ‘Thou canst not say I did it; never shake / Thy gory locks at me!’
- From Macbeth’s words, we can work out that the ghost is shaking his head at Macbeth.
- The ghost seems to be accusing him.
- We could suggest that Banquo’s ghost shakes his head at Macbeth because he knows that Macbeth will not secure his position as king by murdering him.
Test yourself on Banquo
What concern does Banquo express in this quote?
‘Oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths’What does the following quote suggest about Banquo's ghost?
‘Thou canst not say I did it; never shake / Thy gory locks at me!’