The tragedy Macbeth is a tragedy written by the playwright William Shakespeare and first performed in 1606. There are many major characters that have a serious impact on the text, but the most likeable of these characters has been Banquo. Banquo is the Thane of Lochaber and a sympathetic character despite his initial ambition, and plays a major role in Macbeth’s descent to a tragic end. He has several traits that make him a likeable character, each played upon by Shakespeare to reach the reader further. Banquo is a sympathetic character in the play because he follows that path that Macbeth strayed from; he refused to aid in the plot to murder the king, and immediately distrusted the witches when he met them. His first good trait is his loyalty. From the very beginning, Banquo likes King Duncan and remains obedient to him; the witch’s prediction in Act 1 sets Banquo …show more content…
This leads to the second good trait, which is Banquo’s ability to judge the character of others to determine how trustworthy and good they are. When Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches in Act 1, Scene 3, Banquo immediately distrusts the hags even though they promise seemingly good news; he thinks that what they say, if true, will have unforeseen consequences and that they might be lying. Later on, when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are plotting King Duncan’s murder, Macbeth asks Banquo to listen and possibly take part in the murder. Banquo refuses, both due to his loyalty to the king (demonstrating his first good trait), and because he realizes that this death would lead to grave consequences. Banquo can see past Macbeth’s plot and sees only an unstoppable lust for power. Finally, Banquo is a likeable character because