Macbeth
Prompt #13 · Macbeth
Prompt Type: Character Arc
Analyze Banquo's role as a moral foil to Macbeth who receives prophecies but chooses not to act on them. How does Shakespeare use Banquo's character to explore the theme of fate versus free will and the possibility of resisting temptation? Explain how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Quote 1
“And oftentimes to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths; / Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s / In deepest consequence.—”
Act I, Scene 3
Argument
Early in the play, immediately after receiving the prophecies, Banquo establishes his moral baseline by warning against the witches' deceptive truths through metaphor ('instruments of darkness'), demonstrating his capacity to resist temptation that Macbeth lacks. This quote represents Banquo's initial response to fate, choosing skepticism over action.
Quote 2
“Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, / As the Weird Women promis’d; and, I fear, / Thou play’dst most foully for’t;”
Act III, Scene 1
Argument
At a turning point after Macbeth's coronation, Banquo's suspicion that Macbeth 'play'dst most foully for't' reveals his moral clarity in recognizing that free will was used for evil, yet he still chooses not to act on his own prophecy. This demonstrates the central contrast: both men received prophecies, but Banquo maintains his integrity while suspecting Macbeth's corruption.
Quote 3
Act III, Scene 3
Argument
In his final moments during the ambush, Banquo's command to Fleance to 'fly' and 'revenge' represents the resolution of his arc as a moral foil—he dies without having acted on his prophecy for personal gain, yet ensures his line's survival, proving one can resist temptation even unto death. This contrasts sharply with Macbeth's active pursuit of the prophecies through murder.
Quote 4
“He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear / His hopes ’bove wisdom, grace, and fear. / And you all know, security / Is mortals’ chiefest enemy.”
Act III, Scene 5
Argument
This prophecy from the witches explicitly identifies the danger of false security that comes from believing in fate—the very trap Macbeth falls into but Banquo avoids. The personification of 'security' as 'mortals' chiefest enemy' directly illuminates why Banquo's skepticism and refusal to act on prophecy represents wisdom, while Macbeth's trust in fate leads to his destruction.
Quote 5
“Upon my head they plac’d a fruitless crown, / And put a barren sceptre in my gripe, / Thence to be wrench’d with an unlineal hand, / No son of mine succeeding.”
Act III, Scene 1
Argument
After murdering Banquo, Macbeth's bitter recognition that he wears a 'fruitless crown' while Banquo's line will inherit the throne reveals the ultimate irony of their contrasting choices—Macbeth exercised free will through murder yet cannot escape fate, while Banquo resisted temptation and his prophecy will be fulfilled without his intervention. This demonstrates that Banquo's passive approach to fate proves more effective than Macbeth's active manipulation.