Macbeth has changed dramatically as a character throughout the play. Macbeth was tortured with remorse after Duncan’s murder but upon hearing of Banquo’s successful assassination he is elated. His vaulting ambition was driving him to extreme measures and he could do nothing to abate it. Macbeth had risked his life to attain the throne and he had no choice but to employ Machiavellian practices to retain it. The appearance of Banquo’s ghost at the royal banquet horrifies Macbeth. Shakespeare brilliantly uses irony to make Banquo’s emergence very dramatic:
Macbeth: Fail not our feast.
Banquo: My lord, I will not.
(III, i, ll 28-29)
Banquo’s ghost appears during the banquet because it provides for an extremely suspenseful scene. Macbeth is pitted in an internal conflict and is so tormented by guilt that he could confess to his actions at any time. The tension only rises as Macbeth suffers a breakdown and crumbles in front of many distinguished guests, only heightening any prior suspicions they may have had. If Banquo didn’t appear during the scene, Macbeth would only remain content that his friend had been murdered knowing that the task of keeping Banquo’s children off the throne had grown much easier. Banquo’s appearance helps to portray Macbeth as a character because it shows that although he has lost most of his decency, he still is embattled and deeply affected by the appearance of his deceased friend.
The Essay on Similarities/Differences of Macbeth, Banquo, and Macduff
Macbeth, Banquo, and Macduff are three characters in Shakespears tragedy, Macbeth. These three characters have some similarities, but ultimately are very different in the choices and decisions they make, and all play a different role in this play. Macbeth is an ambitious Thane who lets his greed and thirst for power overcome his loyalty. Banquo plays a neutral role; he is loyal but capable of some ...
