Banquo's Deception In Macbeth

Banquo's purpose in the play is the quintessential foil of Macbeth, both in acting, as well as in meaning. Shakespeare utilizes Banquo in order to create opposite moods to what is the drive of the play, which is Macbeth and his wife plotting, scheming, and murdering, by offering great solid blocks of integrity, passion, and goodness, that slightly descend into questioning. In contrast to Macbeth's ambitious state, his transformation into an immoral form of such a state, and his acting on such, Shakespeare creates Banquo in order to give the reader a feeling for contrasting points in order to augment, and practically create, the play.

This time due to a cowardly action committed out of selfish fear. It is no surprise to me that Banquo’s ghost haunts Macbeth at this table since Macbeth called for two murders to kill him and his son. Banquo’s ghost appearing shows that Macbeth felt guilt and that he was not the completely heartless monster that he appeared to become. When Banquo's bloody ghost sits at the table with the lords, Macbeth tries to believe that he did not kill banquo. “ Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake Thy gory locks at me.” (III,iv,53-54). Macbeth’s episode with Banquo’s ghost reveals how the quest for power had driven his mind into pure insanity. This powerful hallucination driven from the little heart left in Macbeth proved to all the lords that Macbeth’s mind was gone, and that he was not fit to

Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he “heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep,’ to all the house”, which forewarns Macbeth’s fate (2.2.47-48,54). The voices that Macbeth hears reflects on his worry for the consequences he may receive for committing murder. It symbolizes how Macbeth’s mind is slowly succumbing to insanity since, regardless of what he thinks is right and wrong, he still accepts to do the deed of killing Duncan to gain power. Macbeth is the only one in the banquet that sees Banquo’s ghost. During the celebration of his crowning as King, Banquo enters the scene as a ghost after being killed by Macbeth’s murderers. Macbeth tells the ghost, “Thou canst not say I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me,” (3.4.63-64). He explains to Banquo that he cannot tell anyone that he caused his death, meaning that his conscience still plagues him to the point he sees an illusory

Macbeth has hallucinations based around guilt and to others he seems delusional and insane. After he hires the three murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance, they come back unsuccessful, only managing to kill Banquo. He is haunted by a hallucination of an apparition of (supposedly) Banquo and says “(to GHOST) Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake. Thy gory locks at me./ Gentlemen, rise. His highness is not well” (Shakespeare 3.4.61-63). Without being prompted by the ghost, Macbeth responds and another noble is weary of his actions. He kills Banquo because Banquo suspects that Macbeth did something horrible (like killing the king) to become king. Macbeth wants to keep the power that he

     After the death of Duncan Macbeth begins to work on his own without the help of his wife. He plans the murders of Banquo and the heir to the throne, Banquo’s son Fleance. Although it does not turn out as expected Macbeth remains calm until Banquo’s ghost appears. ‘... and keep the natural ruby of your cheeks, when mine is blanched with fear.’ This was the turning point in the whole story because until this point everything was going great for Macbeth, he had power, fame and fortune, all you could ever want;however, when this ghost appeared Macbeth went on a little insanity trip. He, also like his wife was engulfed with guilt and unable to function properly anymore. This led to another visit with the witches. Showing

Macbeth’s sense of self seems to diminish as he comes to reality with what he has done and who he has hurt. This leads to him to not being able to sleep because he has “murdered and therefore/Cawdor/Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more” (2.2.55-57). By him not sleeping it shows that he is going crazy, and is not ok with what has happened. Losing his sense of self is also slowly killing his mental state. His conscience is guilty which makes him think less of himself. When Banquo’s ghost appears it makes Macbeth feel as if he were dead. Wanting Banquo to “Take any shape but that,” because he wants him to “be alive again/And dare [him] to the desert with thy sword” (3.4.124-126). When Macbeth’s fears are confirmed about the line of kings all in the image of Banquo his future is shaken. Once being trusted friends this also helps to twist his mental state; and not for the good. Also by him not being stable Macbeth starts hallucinating and feels tempted to grasp what he sees and use it. These visions are a

“All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” Great fear was shown on Macbeth’s face suggesting he was very hesitant toward the idea of him becoming King. However Banquo was much more optimistic about the words of the witch’s, questioning Macbeth, “why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?” Macbeth is still in

The characters in this scene are Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Lennox, Banquo’s ghost and the First Murderer. All of the Lords, attendants, Ross and Lennox attend a banquet honoring Macbeth for becoming king. In the middle of eating dinner, Macbeth sees Banquo in ghost form and becomes startled. Lady Macbeth tells everyone to stay seated because the fits come often and will only be momentarily. Here in this scene we see how guilt can cause many problems in your everyday life and a woman’s power over a man can effect how he’s looked upon.

LADY MACBETH: My dear friends sit. Ignore his strange behavior , you'll only make it worse if he notice you acknowledging him. My Lord are you still man?

Macbeth’s followers and Lady Macbeth are taken aback as none of them admit to seeing Banquo’s Ghost expect for Macbeth. Macbeth even goes as far as attempting to shoot the Ghost in Bogdanvo’s

First off, Macbeth’s ambition leads him to fall into paranoia. It drives him mad, and makes him hallucinate. Macbeth kills so many men seamlessly but after the murder of Banquo he begins to go crazy. “Macbeth does murder sleep…Macbeth shall sleep no more.”(II.II). When he sleeps he sees Banquo and he cannot deal with the guilt. He even began to have visions of Banquo’s ghost “If thou canst nod, speak too. /if charnel-houses and our graves must send/those that we bury back, our monuments/shall be the maws of kites.”(III.IV) Not only does he ask the murderers twice if Banquo is dead but he also becomes paranoid because Fleance got away. In Act 3 scene 4, Macbeth as king holds a feast with all his friends. During this feast he begins to hallucinate, he sees Banquo’s ghost. Lady

What is captivating about Macbeth’s acknowledgment of Banquo’s apparition is that he is not in Macbeth’s throne, he is among the thanes of Scotland. Macbeth focuses his attention on Banquo hereafter, who is not blood-stricken, but rather dressed in his battle garments. When Macbeth demands who has done this to him, Ross assumes Macbeth is not well, to which Lady Macbeth assumes responsibility and pleads the invitees to sit. Again, another compelling moment occurs when the only person who does not sit down is Banquo’s apparition, he continues to stand, as opposed to Polanski’s version. As the invitees sit, Lady Macbeth walks toward Macbeth while also claiming his fit is momentary. While confronting Macbeth, she does not do it in private, she does it right in between the two tables, which raises questions on whether the invitees can listen in on their discussion on Macbeth’s painting of his fear. It is later revealed Banquo’s apparition was merely a thane, sitting down all along, making it seem as if it was a hallucination, rather than an apparition. The acting for this scene is

So he kills many more people who he believes suspect him of murder. He becomes suspicious and insecure. He is scared of what he has done and fearful of deeds to follow. One of the main pieces of evidence that portrays a breakdown within the person is Macbeth's inability to sleep. This comes forward in Act two Scene 2 "I heard a voice cry `Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep'" (lines 33-34). Sleep was seen as the natural end to the day and it was unnatural to not be able to sleep. Macbeth lost the ability to restore himself within his mind and his body, therefore becoming abnormal. The fact that Banquo's ghost appeared to him at the banquet shows his troubled conscience - his murderous deeds are playing on his mind. The vision of the ghost also represents the fact that after Macbeth killed Banquo, he entered into the world of the supernatural at a level that he had never stooped to before. All the evidence above portrays a steadily growing breakdown within the person - within Macbeth.

Macbeth is talking to the ghost of Banquo, and tells him if the graves give back their dead in the form of ghost, the living shall kill themselves. Macbeth has clearly gone mad, because he is seeing the ghost of the Banquo who he just had killed.

After murdering King Duncan, Macbeth returns ashamed of what he had done and becomes weak and morose. Lady Macbeth remains as bold and cold-hearted as she was at the moment she plotted to kill the king, but it was obvious that it would only be a matter of time before all of that bravery faded away and guilt would overcome her. She realizes that Macbeth is at one of the lowest points of his life and tries to give him that same sense of boldness that she has as she tries to cover up his weaknesses. Macbeth had a lot on his conscience that shortly after Banquo had been killed, he believed he saw the ghost of who was once his friend. No one else sees this apparition but Macbeth speaks to it as if it was