Banquo vs. Macbeth

637 Words3 Pages
Macbeth and Banquo are two very important characters in the play. Now, both of these characters are introduced into the play in the same way; they are returning war heroes who have fought off Scotland’s enemies. However, when both Banquo and Macbeth are given prophecies by the three witches they react differently to these similar fates. This in turn brings in Banquo as the character foil to Macbeth. They both have various similarities and differences and these comparisons say a great deal about both of their characters. Now, a key difference between Banquo and Macbeth is that Macbeth is already obviously a representation of the Machiavellian concept. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, in this case, the prestigious title, King. As soon as the three witches give him his prophecy, he is engulfed with the hunger, the desire of power. Due to this unrestrained burst of ambition, Macbeth turns to darkness and he begins to act on his thoughts even though when Banquo asks if he ever thinks about the witches’ prophecy, he denies it all. Although the prophecy the witches foresee in Macbeth’s future is news to him, he is shocked and astonished because he has already thought of becoming a king in the past. As the play progresses, Macbeth’s duplicity in character comes through; he is indecisive, guilty and he becomes the worst type of traitor because he goes against God by murdering King Duncan. Macbeth is a character who undergoes a transformation; he leaves his cocoon and morphs into a butterfly, an evil butterfly for that matter. Banquo, Macbeth’s character foil, is one great character. He can even be regarded as Macbeth’s doppelgänger. When the three witches give him his prophecy he remains skeptic and he keeps bringing up the witches when he talks to Macbeth. Compared to Macbeth, Banquo possess way more honor and nobility. He looks for help in
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