Banquo Macbeth Banquo and Macbeth

Banquo Macbeth

Banquo and Macbeth

Is Banquo Macbeth's Foil?

There are different types of foils that can be found in fiction. They are generally constructed as a means to highlight different qualities that a character might have. One way an author can accomplish this is by having two similar characters that differ in some key way. The way in which the characters differ can help highlight the importance of the difference. For example, two individuals in a work of fiction can be extremely similar except for their views on racism or poverty. A foil can also represent a polar opposite to the other character. In this case the characters would be different on virtually every level and these differences would work to help the author provide contrast between kinds of qualities they wished to differentiate between the characters.

Banquo is used as a character to help contrast the qualities of Macbeth in Shakespeare's Macbeth. One early example of this in the story can be provided by the fact that Macbeth sought out the prophecy of the Three Witches and considered it as true while Banquo did not put much credence into their prophecy and saw the witches as merely evil creatures. Yet Macbeth hopes the prophecy will come true and that he will eventually serve as king. Furthermore, the contrast between the characters is further expanded throughout the story by the fact that Banquo is constantly resisting the temptation of evil while praying and preaching of the heavens.

Banquo has a soliloquy at the end of the third scene in which he explain that he believes that Macbeth killed to be the King of Scotland however he realized this too late in the story to make anyone else aware of his realization. Macbeth eventually comes to the realization that Banquo cannot be trusted to help his plot to become king. He realizes that Banquo has a pure spirit and will be a threat to his newly acquired throne and therefore has him murdered. Yet this doesn't end Banquo's role in the story and his spirit is shown first in his son Fleance and then later through ghostly appearances.

The main illustration of the foil between these two friends in the story can be provided by their responses to the two witches. While Macbeth had a somewhat neutral response at first indicated by the statement "this supernatural soliciting cannot be ill / cannot be bad, if ill why hath it given me earnest of success?" This implies that he didn't think it was too bad if it gave him hope for the future. However, the more Macbeth imagined himself as king, the more his lust for it grew. He then begins to think of murder, "my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical" in which he began his downward plunge into darkness.