MACBETH

Banquo Morally Ambigous/Tragic Hero

When we first meet Banquo he appears keen, observant and above all impervious to the temptation that the Witches represent. However, by Act III scene ii, Banquo's principles have been deeply compromised and we justifiably feel that he is not the innocent solider who met the Witches and scorned their prophecies.

The first reports we receive of Banquo in battle show that he is brave and loyal, though not perhaps possessing the strength or charisma of Macbeth. His inner courage is emphasized when he meets the Witches. Unlike Macbeth, who is "rapt" by what they have to say, Banquo neither fear s nor "beg[s]" their "favors nor [their] hate". This play examines the way in which evil tempt seven the most loyal and most brave into committing unspeakable crimes. We know from the previous scene that the Witches arelimited in their power s. Their petty and vindictive pursuit of the"master o' the Tiger" demonstrates to us just how circumscribed they are in their ability to interfere with this unfortunate man'sfate. Although this sailor's "bark cannot be lost", the Witches areable to "drain him dry as hay" by preventing him from sleeping.Sleep, with all its connotations of rest, innocence and peace, is oneof the chief means by which the Witches interact with their victims.And, when we next meet Banquo, he has been having greatdifficulty in sleeping. His mind is troubled by unspecified, disturbingthoughts and "a heavy summons lies like lead upon" him. Despite hisprofound sense of weariness, he cannot sleep. His response tothese "cursed thoughts" that have prevented him from rest is topray to the "merciful powers" to come to his aid. At this stage inthe play, Banquo is not yet morally compromised, although we dosee clear signs that he has been affected by his encounter with theWitches.This is confirmed to us in the same scene when Macbethenter s the stage. The man who once warned his close friend that:oftentimes, to win us to our harm,The instruments of darkness tell us truths,Win us with honest trifles, to betray'sIn deepest consequence. Hisrefusal to become involved in anything underhanded is of course also a subtle acknowledgement that he sees Macbeth's proposalfor what it is. Yet, despite this, he agrees to the meeting.On the morning of the murder, Banquo arrives following the exit of Macduff and Lennox; initially incredulous, he becomes suspicious after he has hear s Macbeth's explanation of why hekilled the grooms. In public, he says nothing about his suspicions,but vows in the strongest possible terms to stand unequivocally against "treasonous malice". He assures the assembled Thanes thathe intends to fight the "against undivulged pretence" that now conceals Duncan's murderer. The manner in which he moves from using the inclusive "us," to stressing that he alone stands in the"right hand of God" suggests that he is aware that he has adifferent perspective on this ghastly crime. When we next meetBanquo on his own, in soliloquy, at the star t of Act III, he voiceshis suspicions to us concerning Macbeth's guilt - suspicions that hehas most obviously failed to raise in the off-stage council meetingthat saw Macbeth named as Duncan's successor:Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,          As the weird women promised, and, I fear,          Thou play'dst most foully for't:Banquo's king has just been murdered and the social hierarchy thathe fought so valiantly to protect against the Norwegian invasion has been thrown into chaos, yet he chooses to ignore his suspicions that Macbeth is responsible for this horrific crime. He compromises his principals even further by brushing aside hisfear s in favour of an analysis of what the Witches' prophecies mayhold for him. This kind of utilitarian, self-serving approach to morality is completely at odds with the moral confidence thatBanquo exudes in the early scenes of the play.In fact, one of the most startling aspects of the changethat takes place in Banquo's character, is the manner in which hebegins to resemble Macbeth. His hope that the Witches'prophecies may become his " oracles as well," is strangely reminiscent of Macbeth's ear lier desire to trust in "chance." TheBanquo, who once warned his friend to guard against trusting inthe truth of the prophecies, now scans the prophecies in order to ascertain what they may hold for him:Why, by the verities on thee made good,May they not be my oracles as well,And set me up in hope?The way in which Shakespeare juxtaposes Banquo's soliloquy,which is full of misgivings about Macbeth's innocence, withBanquo's near sycophantic reaction to Macbeth's arrival is ver yinteresting. In a manner that recalls Macbeth's eager expressionsof loyalty to Duncan, Banquo assures his new King that he mayfreely "Command upon [him]; to which [his] duties | Are with a most indissoluble tie | For ever Knit". At this stage, we are justified infeeling that Banquo has compromised many of his principles.Interestingly, in his final exchange with Macbeth, Banquo speaks ofbecoming a "borrower of the night | For a dark hour or twain". In aplay where night holds such clear associations with evil, the readerrightly feels that Banquo's words may hold significance beyond their literal meaning.There is no denying that Banquo fails to live up to his promise fight against the evil that has been visited on theKingdom. In death, he does succeed in unmasking Macbeth's guilt:however, his self-interest and reluctance to take the type of hard decisions that see character s like Macduff sacrifice everything for the cause of good, must lead to us to question his integrity. In the end, we are forced to accept that the Banquo Macbeth has Killed is not the innocent soldier who met the Witches and scorned their prophecies, nor the man who prayed to be delivered fromtemptation. He is a man whose principles have been deeply compromised and a man who's mind is rapt with immoral thoughts
In conclusion it is indeed true to say that banquo is an immoral character who's mind was corrupted by his most trusted comrade Macbeth, but Banquo had become our most flawed and tragic hero who was saved from a more dishonorable demise by his untimely death.

I apologize for any mistakes I had to type this on my phone