The Symbolism Of Parents And Children In Shakespeare's 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.

From the beginning of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is viewed as very controlling, strong, and certain; saying that Macbeth ‘Shalt be what thou art promised’. This illustrates Lady Macbeth’s position in the relationship, she is ordering Macbeth to become what the witches have foreseen. We see just how powerful Lady Macbeth is, if she can command her husband to murder the king of Scotland. Her power is also shown in the way she taunts Macbeth, saying he is ‘too full of the milk of human kindness’. This shows how cold Lady Macbeth is, as milk is the food of new born children, she is implying Macbeth is too much like a kind child to murder anyone, which is another method used to spur Macbeth on into killing Duncan. Her coldness and

In this play, the three equivocators have a resilient effect, not only on Macbeth but on the other characters too. ‘Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings though thou be none.' (Act 1 Scene 3) Banquo is directly involved with the three witches; he talks to them face to face. Being at first strongly contrasted with Macbeth, as an innocent man with a guilty one, it seems like this contrast must be continued to his death; while, in reality, though it is never removed, it is gradually diminished. Banquo in fact may be described much more truly than Macbeth as the victim of the Witches.

Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. If I say sooth, I must report they were as cannons overcharged with double cracks..." (Act 1, Scene 2). In fact, Banquo even states, "Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear thou played’st most foully for ’t. Yet it was said It should not stand in thy posterity, but that myself should be the root and father of many kings. If there come truth from them— As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine— Why, by the verities on thee made good..." (Act 3, Scene 1). Here, Banquo admits that he knows Macbeth killed the King to gain the crown, and rather than being outraged or tempted to tell someone, he hopes that his fortune will come true as well. Banquo knew what Macbeth was up to, but chose to not act because he wanted his descendants to become Kings. He was tired of being in Macbeth's shadow and for once wanted the glory. It is because of this that Banquo should be responsible for the death of King

Later in the story, Macbeth does in fact gave Banquo killed and attempts to kill his lineage in fear that Banquo's line will take his throne.

Banquo won’t support Macbeth if he get to crown immorally. Macbeth didn’t listen to Banquo. He listened to the evil instead of following his conscience. The witches also told Macbeth to fear Macduff. After Macbeth heard this, he killed Macduff’s whole family. He believed everything that the witches told him, instead of overriding their prophecy and following his morals. Instead of doing the right thing, he committed multiple murders to try to cover up the previous ones.

He realizes that if he want to start his own dynasty, then he will have to have control of all the variables. Then Macbeth began to think, “For Banquo’s issues have I filed my mind;/ For them the gracious Duncan I have murdered” (Shakespeare 85). He realizes that he has set himself up to fail. He is cleared a path to the crown for Banquo’s kin. Macbeth goes on to state, “He chid the sisters/ When first they put the name of king upon me” (Shakespeare 85). This give the readers the thought that Banquo is jealous of the king. Macbeth, not wanting to risk his crown, calls for some outside murderers. As I stated earlier, Macbeth knew he must get rid of Banquo and his sons. He succeeds in having Banquo killed, but Banquo’s son, Fleance (the one person Macbeth needed to kill), escapes.

     Macbeth learns that Banquo’s son, Fleance, has escaped the murderers and fled into a safe county, so he turns to the final opposition to his reign as

Later on the novel another crime occurs in order to keep Macbeth’s throne safe. Banquo and Fleance are two of the next victims in Macbeth’s hit list. He had murderers to execute his job. The three murderers come back with the news that only Banquo was dead and that Fleance had escaped. Macbeth receives the news during a dinner that was held on the castle, where all members of the royalty were present except Macduff, Banquo, and Fleance. But Banquo was only absent for those who couldn’t see, Macbeth was having illusions with Banquo

In the play, Macbeth was a man who had shown very little mercy to friends let alone his foes. After killing Duncan to become King, he had hired assassins to go and kill Banquo and his son so that he could secure his reign. Banquo was a close friend of Macbeth, they had gone to war together, lived together, fought together and without a second thought, Macbeth has put a death warrant on Banquo and his son’s head. Here Macbeth shows his newly developed uncompassionate character as he does not care about Banquo and their friendship. “ Rather than so, come fate into the list, And champion me that’ utterance.” Here we can see Macbeth speak about the prophecy and how he realises he let go of his morality but for “ Banquo’s seeds” Macbeth not only showed a lack of compassion towards his best friend but also to other characters such as

But, later on in the play we learn by the witched that Banquo's descendants will become King and that they will prosper. It says “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none”, when Macbeth learns about this and hears about it he is scared and then eventually considers Banquo as a threat to him to become King. So Macbeth has to come up with a solution to this and eventually comes up with the solution that he must murder Banquo and his son Fleance. He gets two murders to go out and murder Banquo and his son while they are walking so that his promise of becoming king will not be in jeopardy. This is an ironic act of betrayal because Macbeth and Banquo have been friends for a long time and have done everything together. Banquo was not just his friend he was also the co-commander of the army and had some power in Scotland.

Macbeth is involved with many different people including those whom he ends up having murdered. Macbeth and Banquo, for example, have a good and strong military relationship and friendship. The fact that they are cousins makes their relationship extremely unique in many ways. When the Witches are there to tell Macbeth about his future, Banquo keeps a steady head almost to the point where he is starting to become more worried about his own future and powers, not what is being told to Macbeth. Banquo then proceeds to ask the witches about his own future to which they respond by telling him “ Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none”(I,iii,67). This reveals that Banquo might not exactly become king, but his children will, which angers Macbeth later on. Once Macbeth becomes king and Banquo has suspicions about how he obtained power, Macbeth then changes the relationship between the two by going after Banquo and his son Fleance with hired murderers. This again allows for the Witches to change how those in the relationship act and turn against one another shocking many. It is believed that Macbeth and Banquo are good friends until shortly after the

Banquo’s ambition is unlike Macbeths and Lady Macbeths, his ambition does not drive him to kill. His ambition is he wants his son to become king, and he wants his son’s son to become king and so on. He does not quite know how to make his ambition successful but he knows that it is not worth killing for. Macbeth becomes jealous of Banquo’s ambition and Macbeths ambition drives him tell people to kill Banquo.

After he is named king, Macbeth's misery and eventual downfall is caused by his own insecurities and misguided determination to take control of his future. Firstly, the witches' prophecy concerning Banquo's descendants and Macbeth's feeling of inferiority to Banquo lead Macbeth to arrange for the murder of Banquo and his son, Fleance. Having Banquo around him is a constant reminder to Macbeth of the evil deed he himself has committed and the knowledge that Banquo's, not Macbeth's children, will be

After killing King Duncan , Macbeth is starting to realize what it is that he has done, and becomes suspicious and paranoid of everyone around him by puting spy's in every castle and killing those who are any treat to him what so ever. Banquo is the only other person who knows of the meeting with the witches and he would assume that it was Macbeth who killed the King. The witches also said that Banquo would beget kings but he himself would never be king after Macbeth, and so Macbeth decides that Banquo is a threat to him. To get rid of the treat with banquo he decides to kill him and his son Fleance.