Skip to main content

How do Banquo's children become king after Macbeth dies?

Banquo is Macbeth's closest friend and fellow thane.  He, in a way, represents wisdom, morality and rational thought.  Unfortunately, he doesn't live long, but we will get to that later.


After Macbeth and Banquo leave the scene of battle and head towards their king's encampment, they meet the three witches in the woods.  They declare a prophecy for Macbeth that he will be given a new title and soon be king. Indeed, these both come...

Banquo is Macbeth's closest friend and fellow thane.  He, in a way, represents wisdom, morality and rational thought.  Unfortunately, he doesn't live long, but we will get to that later.


After Macbeth and Banquo leave the scene of battle and head towards their king's encampment, they meet the three witches in the woods.  They declare a prophecy for Macbeth that he will be given a new title and soon be king. Indeed, these both come true.


Banquo's prophecies are less clear.  The final one is as follows:



Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.(70)
So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!



The implication is that Banquo will be the father of a line of kings, but not be a king himself.  As a result, Macbeth's reign will be short, without any of his future children ruling at all.  Macbeth decides to kill Banquo, and his son, in the hopes of changing the prophecy.  While he succeeds in killing Banquo, he does not succeed in killing Banquo's son, Fleance.  


We can assume that Fleance will grow older and return to Scotland.  Because Macbeth is beheaded at the end of the play, Malcolm rises to the throne.  At this point, nobody knows exactly how Fleance, or any of Fleance's children, will become king.  However, the prophecies have all come true so far, we can imagine they would continue to do so.

Labels

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more