Banquo's Letter

Question

I have been reading Macbeth in english and have now been given a task to write a letter from Banquo to a friend explaining that they had just seen the witches for the first time and how he felt. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or knew where there are any sources about this?

MrPedantic · Accepted Answer

Hello Guest

It's an interesting idea.

I'd be inclined to examine the reaction of Banquo to the witches' predictions, and also his reaction to Macbeth's reaction.

Then you can describe the scene from Banquo's point of view.

MrP

Anonymous · Answer

i have to write a letter from banquo to his wife telling her the visit to the wtiches the problem is that i have to write in the old english style and i'm italian so i don't know how to start can you help me?

Anonymous · Answer

I have got the same task for homework.
Any ideas from yours???

Anonymous · Answer

Note that most of the play is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter verse. Iambic pentameter is verse of 5 iambs per line. An iamb is a poetic metrical unit of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one. For example, the following is an ip line: The ^mouse ran ^up the ^clock, the ^clock struck ^one. Here the 5 iambs are: the ^mouse, ran ^up, the ^clock, the ^clock, struck ^one. Note that you cannot say this line as: ^The mouse, ^ran up, etc., as that would be unnatural stressing of the words. When writing ip, you follow the natural stress of the words.

Since the play is written in ip, the letter should also be in ip. Feel free to borrow words from the play, as that's ready-made old-fashioned English, for example:

Dearest _______ ,

So ^foul and ^fair a ^day had ^ne'er been ^seen,
as ^Thane Mac^beth and ^I to ^Forres ^went.
Anon, came we there 'pon some sisters three,
who seemed not like inhabitants of earth.
The first to Thane Macbeth, to him, did say:
Macbeth, the mighty Thane of Glamis, Hail!
The second saith: Hail Thane of Cawdor, Hail!
The third saith: Hail Macbeth who shall be king!
My friend the Thane did start and seemed to fear
these things fantastical that had been said.
And then to me the sisters now would say:
thou shalt get kings though thou shouldst not be one;
thou be the lesser but the greater one.
What shall I make of these strange sisters three,
who vanished like the bubbles of the earth?
My children shall be kings, though I be none?
And how shall Thane Macbeth be made a king?
Soon after this Macbeth was Cawdor made.
If this be true, can what the sisters said
be happy prologues to the swelling act?

Sincerely,

Banquo

Clive · Answer

Great post!

Clive

Banquo's Letter

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