Banquo’s ghost banquet scene
E544057
Banquo’s ghost banquet scene is a pivotal moment in Shakespeare’s Macbeth where the murdered Banquo’s apparition appears at a royal feast, exposing Macbeth’s guilt and unraveling his sanity before the assembled nobles.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
dramatic scene
ⓘ
supernatural episode ⓘ theatrical episode ⓘ |
| appearsInAct | Act 3 ⓘ |
| appearsInScene | Scene 4 ⓘ |
| BanquoGhostFunction |
embodiment of Macbeth’s fear of Banquo’s heirs
ⓘ
silent accusation of Macbeth ⓘ |
| BanquoGhostVisibility | visible to Macbeth only ⓘ |
| centralConflict | Macbeth’s guilt versus his public image as king ⓘ |
| centralTheme |
appearance versus reality
ⓘ
conscience ⓘ guilt ⓘ madness ⓘ the supernatural ⓘ |
| chronologicalPositionInPlot |
after Banquo’s murder
ⓘ
before Macbeth’s second visit to the witches ⓘ |
| creator | William Shakespeare NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| dramaticDevice |
contrast between Macbeth’s vision and the nobles’ ignorance
ⓘ
use of a visible ghost seen only by Macbeth ⓘ use of aside-like reactions by Macbeth ⓘ |
| dramaticFunction |
foreshadows Macbeth’s downfall
ⓘ
heightens tension among the Scottish nobles ⓘ marks turning point in Macbeth’s psychological decline ⓘ publicly exposes Macbeth’s instability ⓘ |
| featuresCharacter |
Banquo’s ghost
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Lady Macbeth NERFINISHED ⓘ Lennox NERFINISHED ⓘ Lords ⓘ Macbeth NERFINISHED ⓘ Ross NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| genreContext | tragedy ⓘ |
| LadyMacbethAction |
attempts to excuse Macbeth’s behavior
ⓘ
dismisses the guests ⓘ |
| language | Early Modern English NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| literaryPeriod | English Renaissance NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| locationInPlay | Macbeth’s palace at Forres NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| MacbethReaction |
hallucinatory speech
ⓘ
loss of self-control ⓘ terror ⓘ |
| notableLineSpokenByLadyMacbeth |
“Are you a man?”
ⓘ
“You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting / With most admired disorder.” ⓘ |
| notableLineSpokenByMacbeth | “Thou canst not say I did it; never shake / Thy gory locks at me.” ⓘ |
| partOf | Macbeth NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| politicalConsequence |
nobles begin to doubt Macbeth’s fitness to rule
ⓘ
weakens Macbeth’s authority ⓘ |
| setting | royal banquet ⓘ |
| symbolizes |
Macbeth’s guilty conscience
ⓘ
the breakdown of political order ⓘ the inescapability of past crimes ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.