Banquo, Thane of Lochaber, a general in the Kings army

Banquo,Thane of Lochaber, a commander of men in King Duncan's forces and a personal friend of Macbeth, so the bard writes.

Lochaber is situated in the west of the country deep in the highlands, so controlling that area for a ruler would be very important as the viking threat along that side of the country was very real indeed. This would make Banquo an essential ally to keep on board.

At the beginning of the play Banquo and Macbeth are portrayed as great friends and comrades in arms and it was to them that the three witches appeared. This was the keypoint of the outcome of what followed in the play, for Banquo was the only witness to what was said. As they were meant to be such great friends this was to be the biggest betrayal of the whole tale.

Whether Banquo ever existed in real life I don't know for I have never read of him in what little research I have done. From the military and historical point of view surely he would have been prominent in any writngs concerning Macbeth. Perhaps if anyone out there has any convincing evidence they would contact the site.

Shakespeare goes on to say how Macbeth's murder of Banquo was to haunt him till his death at the end of the story. For me the killing of a king was the going rate in those far off days, for it was only business, not personal. As for the murder of a friend, that was quite a different story and Shakespeare used this to portray the depths into which Macbeth was to stoop on his quest for power. Whether Banquo actually lived or not is not important but his part in the play is one that many a poor man has suffered in reality through the quest of mankind for personal glory even down to our modern times.

I believe this was the point Shakespeare was making.

Comments please.