Banquo Ghost In Macbeth

The Significance of Banquo’s Ghost In the famous The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, it has been often debated whether the play is made better or worse by representing Banquo’s ghost with an actor. Different plays have done it different ways due to the belief that one way is better than the other. After evaluating the pros and cons of using an actor to represent Banquo’s ghost, it can be concluded that it is beneficial to use an actor because the actor reestablishes the bond between the audience and Macbeth, it keeps Macbeth a tragic hero, and it supplements the play with irony. At the start of the play, Macbeth is introduced as the hero of the battle and the protagonist. In literature, the audience is supposed to feel connected to the main character and share a bond with them. This bond can be felt, even to the point of relating to Macbeth’s lust for power. The strength of the bond languishes significantly after the murder of Banquo. “ Thou are the best o’ th’ cutthroats./ Yet he’s [Banquo] good that did the like for Fleance;/ If thou didst it, thou art the nonpareil.” (3.4.17-19) Despite feeling regret and guilt for killing Duncan, Macbeth shows no remorse for the murder of Banquo. He also seems to have an encounter with Banquo’s ghost. If the audience can’t see his ghost, Macbeth appears to be insane, making Macbeth …show more content…
Shakespeare is known for incorporating irony into his plays to help tie events together. “ Fail not our feast./ My lord, I will not.” (3.1.27-28) Banquo promises that he will not miss the feast, and he keeps his promise even in death. If there is an actor representing the ghost, this allows for irony the audience can see and enjoy. On the other hand, acting the scene without the ghost would just make Macbeth appear delusional. The audience would not be able to tell that Banquo is actually there, so there would be no