Comparison and contrast between Macbeth and Banquo

 Macbeth And Banquo

(Comparison and contrast)

The first and foremost things about Macbeth and Banquo is that they are the trusted generals of Duncan, the king of Scotland and are largely devoted to their loyal lord. The most tangible proof of their devotion to the king is that they go all lengths for pleasing him in the best possible way. The second but very important aspect of their personality is that they are naturally brave soldiers and, along with that, are fully equipped with the knowledge of fighting successful battles against the foes of the country and their Royal lord.

We come across both Macbeth and Banquo when they are returning from the battlefield after having quelled a revolt against the king who is very dear to them because of his benevolence and large hearted accommodation. Quite naturally, they are very happy and the signs of victory are palpably visible on their countenances. It is at this specific moment of psychological elevation that they are accosted on the way by three Supernatural creatures who have dried up visages. These supernatural creatures, first of all, adress Macbeth with the titles which are not his. Then to his surprise pleasure they tell him that he will succeed Duncan as the king of Scotland. When Banquo, who is all the time sceptical regarding  the mysterious creatures, addresses them to know further about future,they tell him that his posterity will occupy the throne of Scotland and disappear like vapours in the air.

It is here that we have a chance to have a probe Into the secret functioning of their minds as the drama clearly reveals that Macbeth is rapt with glee on hearing such flattering predictions about his future life. But the case of Banquo is absolutely different because even after receiving a heartwarming prediction about his future generations, he remains not only normal but also doubtfull of the the veracity of the utterances of the three witches. We have referred to all this only to show that the two Generals react differently to the tempting utterings of the Supernatural creatures who meet them on the heat.

Another clearcut difference between the two clearly comes before us when we see that after the assassination of the Scottish King, Macbeth embarks on a series of bloodshed to strengthen his power as an illegitimate ruler of Scotland. While Banquo gets busy in locating the persons who are directly or indirectly involved in the assassination of the legitimate king. Macbeth is so much sensitive regarding the perpetuation of his rule in Scotland that he bears no opposition whatsoever and goes all lengths to crush the hurdles which obstruct his path as a ruler. The remarkable thing is that in his frenzy to crush all opposition, he gets murdered even Banquo who has been his close associate even for a long time. All this clearly shows that Macbeth is for removed from Banquo in the sense that he crosses every limit and violets every scruple for the sake of the realization of his object. It further shows that Banquo is made of quite a different stuff and remains loyal to fair play and legitimacy down to the last breath of his life. Although Macbeth behaves abjectly for the sake of his vested interests yet like Banquo, he is also made of War like stuff and this we can easily prove by referring to his brave and unflinching confrontation of death towards the closure of the drama. Despite knowing that he has not even the least chance of escape from death, he remains adamant and unrelented even when he is face to face with Macduff who, as he knows, will definitely put an end to his life. He fights against his enemy to tooth and nail like a true soldier and meets the death of one who will ever be remembered for his steadfast heroism. The death, which Macbeth confronts in the battlefield, definitely raises his stature as the tragic hero of the drama.

 To wind up, despite certain similarities, there is a hell of difference between Macbeth and Banquo and the thing worth mentioning is that the former is much more powerful than the latter as a dramatic character. We mean to say that Macbeth, as a character in the drama, is quite appealingly impressive despite his moral lapses and infirmities.