Envy In Macbeth Essay

Macbeth's fears about Banquo run deep, and he sees him as a threat to his position as king. He describes Banquo's "royalty of nature," which he sees as something to be feared. Macbeth acknowledges

In the story, Macbeth becomes nervous that Banquo will over power him. “But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature Reigns that which would be feared. ' Tis much he dares, And to that dauntless temper of his mind To act in safety. There is none but he Whose being I do fear.”

Originally his ambition remains in the back of his mind as various characters continue to persuade him to use it. When the witches bring the prophecies upon him, he lets his ambition slowly take over his mind. The idea of killing Duncan to become king is one that he contemplates back and forth. After Lady Macbeth tells him the plan to kill Duncan for their success, he still suffers immense anxiety and guilt. He goes on to state

Banquo says, “I fear thou play’ds most foully for’t” (Act 3 sc 1 lines 2-3). I feel that Banquo is seeing that Macbeth is getting everything that he wants and Banquo is noticing that it’s out of the ordinary and he ends up getting suspicious of Macbeth. Macbeth notices that Banquo is getting suspicious of him. Also, the weird sister told Macbeth that one of Banquo sons is going to be king one day. Macbeth doesn’t like the idea of both of these, so Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance.

It is said that Shakespeare may have changed this one aspect of Banquo’s character in order to please King James, who was considered at the time to be the real descendant of real Banquo. It is also interpreted that the role of Banquo is presented in the contrast of that of Macbeth’s because Banquo resists evil where Macbeth embraces it. The play is about how Macbeth murders Duncan, King if Scotland, to be the king himself after when he listens to the prophecies of the three witches. He is also supported by his wife, Lady Macbeth, in doing so.

In Macbeth’s soliloquy, he talks about Banquo’s “hath of wisdom” and how Banquo acts safely(58). This illustrates that Macbeth is afraid of what Banquo might do. This illustrates Macbeth’s ambition because he is not going to give up until he finds what he is looking for if he gets suspicious with Macbeth. This makes Macbeth very scared of Banquo because if Banquo finds out that Macbeth killed Duncan, Macbeth’s life is going to be hell and Banquo is immediately going to tell everybody in Scotland. Macbeth fears Banquo so much that he will “champion his utterance” and will battle anybody to keep his crown(77).

Banquo is intended to be a noble and kindhearted Character and is not given a flaw. Since his character is compared to Macbeth Banquo seems to be more reputable. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth several characters display the theme of fair is foul or foul is fair. One character in particular who displays the theme fair is foul is Banquo.

(2.1.4-5). Banquo, although experiencing the same things as Macbeth and generally possessing the same characteristics of Macbeth has more control and restriction on his mind and actions than Macbeth does. Macbeth, being Banquo’s friend, eventually sees him as a threat to his mission and kills him off.

In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare includes characters that are important and unimportant to the progression of the plot. Banquo, is one the characters in the play, that is necessary to the progression of the plot. Even though Banquo is killed by Macbeth in the play, after his death, he comes back as a ghost and is mentioned throughout the rest of the play. Before he is killed, he serves as Macbeth’s most loyal friend and fights with him during the war. The character Banquo is just as much important to the play when he is dead, just as much as when he was alive.

His envy is partly what drives him to murder the current king Duncan disrupting the natural order. Once Macbeth is crowned king his envy begins to waver and change its mind. He grows envious of the way things were before as well as envying the dead. Speaking about his envy of the dead former king he remarks “Both the worlds suffer, ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep in the affliction of these terrible dreams that shake us nightly: Better be with the dead, whomwe too gain our peace, have sent to peace, than on the torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstasy” (3.2.18-24).

Banquo keeps his thoughts to himself; he ensures to attend the dinner. Macbeth fearing of his friend knowing, that he killed Duncan and his line will become king; he is now becoming greedy in being king, although he felt regret murdering the current one, not too long ago. The “toxic masculinity ” motif reflects in Macbeth’s order to the assassins. When Macbeth commands whether the murderers could handle Banquo to his death, they reply "we are men, my liege" (III i 92).

From the beginning of the story, as two essential soldiers in the Scotland army, Macbeth and Banquo both illustrate their characteristics as loyal, brave, and devoted. However, Macbeth’s ambition and obsession with kingship, which is predicted by the witches, lead their relationship from trustful to infinitely doubtful, and finally, to a hostile state that inflicts blood and death. In addition to Macbeth’s own desire, his wife’s incisive agitation also plays a pivotal role on the shift of their relationship. At first, Macbeth and Banquo see each other as close friends. Both being the critical and faithful warriors in the army who have rendered meritorious service to the victory of the battle, like cannons loaded with double ammunition, “so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe”(1.2)

Banquo is represented as a foil to Macbeth and is thus a human symbol of the ability to resist temptation. The antithesis of Macbeth suggests that Banquo is a morally strong character. He resists evil and is also a very honest man as in Act 1 scene 5 he can be seen in his short but heartfelt reply to Duncan's speech: ‘There I grow, the harvest is your own.’ This is very contrasting with Macbeth who is morally weak, inherently flawed, and an evil personality that yields to

Throughout the play, Banquo demonstrated honor and integrity. He was a valiant soldier who also met the three witches with Macbeth. As the witches explained the prophecy of Banquo and Macbeth, Macbeth was eager to know more as Banquo was just happy to hear the good news. They are both ambitious but Banquo took a separate path than Macbeth and didn’t take action on those ambitions, instead he let the future play out by itself. He continued to his casual life and didn’t change after he had heard the witches prophecy explaining how he would be less than Macbeth, but much happier, as his sons will become kings. He was attached to his morals and remained guilt free as there was nothing for him to be guilty of.

They told Macbeth that he was going to be king, and told Banquo that his children were going to be king. With the knowledge that there is a possibility to become king, along with the selfish human nature, noble Macbeth was easily swayed by this prophecy. At first, Macbeth’s conscience took care of his ambitions, he was afraid he would betray the king, because he knew that he was “his kinsman and his subject” (1.7.13). However as the three witches continue to encourage Macbeth with carefully chosen words, he eventually pushes his conscience away and committed crimes that were dishonourable. Macbeth, easily controlled by his ambitions, loses his noble and heroic title in fear of losing his power.