Act & Scene	Quote	Meaning
1.3	“What, can the devil speak true?”	Banquo is shocked that the Witches’ prophecy about the Thane of Cawdor came true, showing his immediate suspicion.
1.3	“The instruments of darkness tell us truths… to betray ‘s in deepest consequence.”	He warns Macbeth that evil forces use small truths to trick people into making life-destroying mistakes.
2.1	“A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet I would not sleep.”	Banquo feels a spiritual heaviness and is afraid of having dark dreams about the Witches.
2.1	“So I lose none [honour] in seeking to augment it.”	He tells Macbeth he will support him, but only if he can do so without losing his moral integrity.
3.1	“Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all… and I fear thou play’dst most foully for’t.”	Now that Macbeth is King, Banquo correctly suspects that Macbeth murdered Duncan to get the crown.
3.1	“May they not be my oracles as well, and set me up in hope?”	Despite his caution, Banquo wonders if the prophecy about his own sons becoming kings will also come true.
3.3	“O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! Thou mayst revenge.”	His dying words are an act of fatherly love, urging his son to escape and one day seek justice.

In Act 1, Scene 3, Banquo’s immediate reaction to the first prophecy, “What, can the devil speak true?” establishes him as a rational and spiritual contrast to Macbeth.

By using a rhetorical question and the metaphor of the “devil” for the Witches, he recognizes the evil nature of the supernatural immediately. This connects to the theme of Reason vs. Passion, as Banquo uses his logic to question the news, while Macbeth is already lost in a trance of ambition.

Banquo deepens this warning later in the same scene, stating that “the instruments of darkness tell us truths… to betray ‘s in deepest consequence.” Through the metaphor of “instruments,” he suggests the Witches are tools used by a higher evil to play with human lives.

This is a vital piece of the Fate and Free Will theme; Banquo realizes that the Witches offer “small” truths to win trust, only to lead the person toward a “deep” moral disaster. He understands that the truth can be used as a trap, a concept Macbeth fails to grasp until Act 5.

By Act 2, Scene 1, Banquo is struggling with his own thoughts, admitting that “a heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet I would not sleep.” The simile “like lead” emphasizes the physical and mental weight of his anxiety. This connects to the theme of The Supernatural and Temptation.

Unlike Macbeth, who welcomes the “black desires,” Banquo is terrified by the dark dreams the Witches have planted in his head and prays for the strength to resist them, highlighting his superior moral character.

In the same scene, when Macbeth tests his loyalty, Banquo replies that he will help “so I lose none [honour] in seeking to augment it.” This use of legalistic language regarding “honour” and “augmenting” (increasing) his status shows his rigid moral code.

This links to the theme of Kingship and Loyalty, proving that Banquo’s ambition is tempered by his conscience. He refuses to “sell his soul” for power, which makes him a direct threat to Macbeth’s increasingly “foul” methods.

In Act 3, Scene 1, Banquo’s private soliloquy reveals his growing realization: “Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all… and I fear thou play’dst most foully for’t.” The rule of three (King, Cawdor, Glamis) reflects the Witches’ original greeting, but the adverb “foully” links back to the “Fair is foul” theme of Act 1.

This marks the moment of Suspicion and Betrayal; Banquo knows the natural order has been broken by murder, and his fear of Macbeth highlights the total breakdown of their friendship.

Finally, at the moment of his murder in Act 3, Scene 3, Banquo cries, “O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! Thou mayst revenge.” The repetition of the imperative “fly” and the exclamatory tone show his selflessness and fatherly love.

This connects to the theme of Legacy and Lineage. While Macbeth kills to secure his own life, Banquo’s final act is to protect the future, ensuring that the Witches’ prophecy about his descendants will eventually come true.