Katia+and+Megan+-+Banquo


 * __Banquo Vs. MLK__**

After reading Shakespeare’s __Macbeth__, Mrs. Ficca assigned our period four class to pick a character from the play and compare him/her to a person in history. We were given the character [|Banquo] to research. After diligently searching we discovered that Banquo and [|Martin Luther King] had similar qualities. Both men were murdered and believed in nonviolence.

First, they both believed in nonviolence. Banquo was Macbeth’s close companion and was by his side for most issues faced in the beginning of the play. When Macbeth and Banquo were told their prophecies by the three witches, Banquo was told he would father a line of kings. Macbeth felt threatened by the foreshadowed events, and plotted to have Banquo and his son, Fleance, killed. Banquo chose not to use his power of ambition negatively to fulfill his desires. Instead, he stood firm and decided not to use harm as a method of gaining power, as Macbeth would soon do. For example, " Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven; their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers, restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in repose." Like Banquo, Martin Luther King Jr. stood for his beliefs in the civil rights movement. Instead of participating in violent riots, Martin Luther King gave motivational speeches about his beliefs as a civil rights activist. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge,aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."

Next, Banquo and Martin Luther King Jr. were murdered as targets. Banquo was murdered by criminals hired by Macbeth. He was betrayed simply because Macbeth felt threatened about his sons’ promising futures. Martin Luther King was murdered while giving a speech to a crowd of people addressing civil rights. Banquo was murdered to insure Macbeth as the future king of Scotland. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered because he spoke out about his beliefs in the unfair treatment of African Americans. Discrimination of blacks was an unpopular topic in the United States during the 1960's.

In conclusion, Banquo is comparable to Martin Luther King Jr. Although Banquo didn't speak out about his pacifism, he demonstrated his strength by allowing his morals to outweigh his ambition of power. Both men were equivalent in that they both were irenic, or that they both were inclined to peace. Also, Banquo and MLK were targeted in their murders. These two ideas bring up a topic of discussion that Banquo and MLK were related in character.