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BANQUO ("Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature / Gives way…
BANQUO
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"If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not"
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When Banquo says "if they can look into the seeds of time" Banquo is referring to the prophecy they have just given to Macbeth. The witches have just promised that Macbeth will be king in future time. If this is to be so, then the witches know which grain will grow and which grain will die. In other words, King Duncan will have to die for Macbeth to become king
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Banquo's metaphor of seeds and grain is a metaphoe that compares seeds and grain to the present kings and future kings
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"oftentimes, to win us our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths / Win us with honest trifles, to betray's"
In this metaphor, he outlines the dangers of the witches and their prophecies
"Instruments" links to the metaphor of "tune" - Banquo is morally stronger than Macbeth as he is able to suppress the flaw of mankind - desire
Therefore, Shakespeare juxtaposes the two men
Banquo is used as a foil to Macbeth to emphasise Macbeth's moral weakness and his lack of self-control
Banquo also refers to the predictions as a "tune" something which may please the ear but in this instance, is ominous
King James would have seen Banquo as more noble because, unlike Macbeth who is immediately "rapt" by the witches and their misleading intentions, Banquo appears to have suppressed his manly ambition and seen the true intentions of these evil characters
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"O treachery! Fly good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! / Thou may 'st revenge - O slave!"
Translation: Oh, this treachery! Get out of here, good Fleance, run, run, run! Someday you can get revenge - Oh, you bastard!"
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He therefore, makes Macbeth look undignified
Perhaps, this haunting serves to metaphorically represent moral values
"A show of eight kings, the last with a glass in his hand, followed by BANQUO" (stage direction) Returns to haunt him yet again and Macbeth also sees Banquo's children as kind - reminding him that his crown is "fruitless"
GENERAL
Initially, Macbeth and Banquo are similar
At the beginning of the play, they are valiant, heroic warriors
Then the witches reveal their predictions and then this is where Banquo and Macbeth begin to drift apart in terms of any similarities
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Friend - someone who provides mutual support or encouragement - Shown that Macbeth and Banquo are friends through their bond as Jacobean soldiers for Duncan
"He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour / To act in safety. There is none but he / Whose being I fear"
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After Duncan's murder, he's suspicious "question this most bloody piece of work"
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"Speak then, to me, who neither beg nor fear / Your favours nor your hate"
Banquo wants the prophecy too - although he seems to be relaxed, claiming he doesn't care one way or another. But if he doesn't care, why ask?
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Even when he wants to know his future, he does it cautiously, saying that he "neither beg nor fear / Your favours nor your hate"
The prophecy given by the witches divides the characters - both are presented as noble but only Macbeth had received a prophecy at this point/ By his careless attitude to the witches, this highlights his nobility as the audience would have known the extent of their evil characters
"But hush, no more"
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Like Macbeth, he may have the flaw of ambition. Right before he gets brutally murdered, he has a little imaginary conversation with Macbeth
He suspects Macbeth of foul play, but does he tell anyone? In fact, he tells himself to "hush..." - maybe because he is too excited about being the "root and father / Of many kings"
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