Question

1)Did Macbeth and Banquo ever have a true friendship? Discuss using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Answer 1

1. Macbeth and Banquo did have a true friendship, before the action with the witches came up. You can tell that they are close, and have been for a long time, because of the way everyone talks about their fighting and their friendship. Also, Banquo refers to Macbeth as "My noble partner", and Macbeth treats Banquo as a friend and an equal through the first act.

2. The witches' prophecies affected their friendship the most. When Macbeth realizes that Banquo's sons will be kings instead of his own he stops trusting Banquo and starts plotting to have him eliminated. Macbeth, after killing Duncan, says "To be thus is nothing; But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo Stick deep." In this quote Macbeth knows that he is safe as king, but he is not "safely" king, meaning his children and line won't take up the crown until Banquo is killed too. 

3. As a prediction, Macbeth will not be able to keep up the mask through the whole play. Even before killing Duncan he is unable to keep his mind made up about doing it. He tells Lady Macbeth "We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honour'd me of late." This shows that even though he had made up his mind, he was trying to change it. This shows that he does not have the consistency of character to keep his mask up through the whole play.