You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 10 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
While Macbeth and Lady Macbeth dominate the play, the supporting characters serve essential dramatic, thematic, and structural functions. Understanding their roles — and how they relate to the protagonists — is key to a sophisticated GCSE response.
THE WITCHES
/ \
prophecy prophecy
/ \
MACBETH ----foil---- BANQUO
| |
murders ancestor of
| |
DUNCAN (future kings)
|
succeeded by
|
MALCOLM
|
supported by
|
MACDUFF
|
family murdered by
|
MACBETH
Banquo is the most important foil to Macbeth. A foil is a character who highlights another character's qualities through contrast.
| Aspect | Macbeth | Banquo |
|---|---|---|
| Reaction to prophecy | Immediately thinks of murder | Cautious and suspicious |
| Moral choice | Gives in to temptation | Resists temptation |
| Relationship with evil | Actively seeks the Witches | Warns against "instruments of darkness" |
| Loyalty to Duncan | Betrays and murders him | Remains loyal |
| Legacy | Dies without heirs on the throne | His line will produce kings |
"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray 's / In deepest consequence" (1.3)
This is one of the wisest lines in the play — Banquo recognises that the Witches may use partial truths to lead them to destruction. Macbeth ignores this warning.
"Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, / As the weird women promised; and I fear / Thou played'st most foully for 't" (3.1)
Banquo suspects Macbeth murdered Duncan but does not act on his suspicion — possibly because the prophecy that his own descendants will be kings gives him reason to stay quiet. This makes Banquo morally ambiguous, not simply virtuous.
Examiner's tip: A sophisticated response will note that Banquo is not a simple hero. His silence after suspecting Macbeth (3.1) suggests complicity or self-interest — he may hope to benefit from the prophecy. Shakespeare presents a world where almost no one is purely good.
Macduff serves as the agent of retribution — the character who ultimately destroys Macbeth and restores the rightful order.
| Act.Scene | Action | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2.3 | Discovers Duncan's body | Associated with truth and justice |
| 2.4 | Does not attend Macbeth's coronation | Early sign of resistance |
| 4.3 | Passes Malcolm's loyalty test | Proves his integrity |
| 4.3 | Learns of his family's murder | Personal motivation for revenge |
| 5.8 | Kills Macbeth | Restores the natural order |
"O horror, horror, horror! / Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!" (2.3)
His response to Duncan's murder is one of genuine, overwhelming grief — contrasting with Macbeth's calculated performance.
"He has no children. All my pretty ones? / Did you say all? O hell-kite! All? / What, all my pretty chickens and their dam / At one fell swoop?" (4.3)
This is one of the most emotionally powerful moments in the play. The animal metaphor — "chickens" and "dam" — makes the family's vulnerability heartbreakingly vivid. "At one fell swoop" has entered common English usage from this speech.
"Macduff was from his mother's womb / Untimely ripped" (5.8)
Macduff was born by caesarean section, making him technically not "of woman born" — he is the loophole that destroys Macbeth's false sense of security.
Duncan represents the ideal of good kingship — the standard against which Macbeth's tyranny is measured.
| Quality | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Generous | Rewards loyalty with titles and praise |
| Trusting | "He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust" (1.4) — about the previous Cawdor, showing his fatal flaw |
| Gracious | "This castle hath a pleasant seat" (1.6) — sees beauty even in danger |
| Just | Punishes traitors, rewards heroes |
Subscribe to continue reading
Get full access to this lesson and all 10 lessons in this course.