Mecbeth Essay

In the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, you read about a tragedy that happens in Scotland and you learn how Macbeth chooses to become evil to get what he wants even if that does mean murdering. It doesn’t take long before he loses everything and then his life at the end. I have decided to choose three minor characters from the play and examine how they contribute to the play’s action. My three characters are Fleance, Banquo, and the Porter. Fleance is the son of Banquo and is only mentioned a few times in the play. He survives the attempt of hired murderers that Macbeth has sent after him and his dad. Unfortunately his dad, Banquo, isn’t so lucky. This is really the turning point in the play because something actually went wrong for Macbeth. Since he got away we know someday he will be king since the witches tell Banquo his sons will become king. My next character is Banquo. In this play you see Banquo numerous times even after he dies because his ghost comes back to haunt Macbeth. Banquo is a good father and really saved his son from the murderers and told Fleance to flee. We wish more people were like Banquo in this play. He knows that Macbeth murdered Duncan, but he stays silent about it. He really contributes to the action of the play because he brings on Macbeths fall. People start to get suspicious after Macbeth starts saying all these weird things at the supper when he sees Banquos ghost sitting in his spot. Macbeth says, “ Thou canst not say I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me” (3.4.50-51). The porter is only seen in one scene during this whole play, but he sure adds a lot of comic relief during his short time. He’s the porter to Macbeths castle. In act 2 scene 3 the porter answers the knocking at the door and he pretends to be the gatekeeper of hell. “Knock, knock! Who's there, in the other devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake,