Banquo: the guy in Macbeth who didn’t kill a king, didn’t lose his cool, and still got ghosted—literally. While Macbeth spirals into paranoid chaos, Banquo keeps things suspiciously chill, drops profound one-liners, and ultimately shows up to dinner without an invite.
His loyalty, caution, and eventual transformation into a ghostly guilt trip make him one of Shakespeare’s most fascinating side characters.
In this post, we reimagine Banquo’s lines and spirit through a fresh lens, offering 80+ Banquo quotes that are funny, witty, and sarcastic. Whether you’re here for literary flair or just want a clever quote from the quieter hero of Macbeth, this one’s for you.
1. On Suspicion and Skepticism
- “Sure, witches told us we’d be kings. I’m just waiting for the part where someone doesn’t die.”
- “Prophecies are fun until your best friend starts side-eyeing you with a dagger.”
- “If Macbeth starts calling himself king, I’m calling the therapist.”
- “Something wicked this way comes—and I think it’s wearing a crown too early.”
- “You ever feel like your promotion at work comes with a murder plot? Just me?”
- “Macbeth is acting like a guy with something to hide. Or like he’s hiding something sharp.”
- “The best way to survive in this castle is to question everything—including the appetizers.”
- “My instincts say no, but my loyalty says… well, I’ll just quietly be concerned.”
- “When witches say you’ll be great, it usually means something’s about to go very wrong.”
- “Just because someone smiles during a prophecy doesn’t mean they’ll survive it.”
2. On Loyalty and Morality
- “Some of us choose not to murder for power. Radical, I know.”
- “Loyalty means not stabbing your friends in their sleep. A lesson, Macbeth.”
- “You can be ambitious without being, you know, evil.”
- “I’m loyal—but not dumb. There’s a difference.”
- “Being a good guy in a Shakespeare play just means you die slower.”
- “I serve with honor, not hidden daggers.”
- “The crown isn’t worth your soul—or my ghostly revenge.”
- “Macbeth’s loyalty comes with a knife in the back. Mine came with a raised eyebrow.”
- “I knew being decent would get me killed. But I stand by it.”
- “Real power is staying good when everything pushes you to be otherwise.”
3. On Macbeth’s Weird Behavior
- “Macbeth blinked twice when I said ‘trust.’ Should I be worried?”
- “He used to laugh. Now he stares into the distance like he’s planning a murder. Progress?”
- “If your friend suddenly becomes king and forgets how to sleep, run.”
- “Macbeth’s new favorite hobby? Sweating while pretending everything’s fine.”
- “Macbeth keeps asking about my son like he’s planning his schedule… or funeral.”
- “He flinched at the word ‘ghost.’ Wonder why.”
- “I said good morning and he asked if I was following him. Someone’s guilty.”
- “He used to toast to the future. Now he drinks to forget the present.”
- “When your old war buddy gets weirdly quiet after a prophecy, maybe don’t share your travel plans.”
- “Macbeth’s paranoia could fuel an entire season of reality TV.”
4. On Fate and Prophecy
- “Apparently, my descendants will be kings. So, I’ll just haunt the throne till it happens.”
- “Fate’s great—unless it involves daggers and dinner parties.”
- “The witches said I’d father kings. They forgot to mention I wouldn’t live to see it.”
- “Prophecy is like a vague fortune cookie—except more violent.”
- “Being chosen by fate sounds cool until you’re the subplot of a murder plan.”
- “Witch forecasts: 50% cryptic, 50% terrifying, 100% real.”
- “Turns out destiny doesn’t come with life insurance.”
- “The prophecy didn’t lie. It just omitted how quickly I’d die.”
- “Trusting witches is like trusting a ghost with your calendar.”
- “I was told I’d be the root of royalty. They forgot to mention I’d be fertilizing it personally.”
5. On Ghost Life and Aftermath
- “I wasn’t invited to dinner, but I came anyway. That’s ghost etiquette.”
- “Revenge is best served… at your murderer’s banquet.”
- “If I show up at your feast as a ghost, take the hint.”
- “Macbeth may have killed me, but I ruined his appetite forever.”
- “Haunting is just me returning unread messages—very dramatically.”
- “I said nothing in life. Now I’m the most talked-about dinner guest.”
- “I came, I saw, I floated ominously.”
- “Who needs words when your ghostly silence makes someone lose their mind?”
- “Macbeth wanted silence. I gave him the loudest guilt trip in history.”
- “Being dead hasn’t stopped me from making a strong impression.”
6. On Legacy and Family
- “So I die, but my kid becomes king? Fair trade—if you’re into poetic justice.”
- “Banquo’s blood may spill, but it waters the crown.”
- “My parenting plan: stay noble, leave a haunted throne to my descendants.”
- “They say legacy lives on—mine just does it with dramatic lighting.”
- “Heirs matter more when you die dramatically.”
- “My son will wear a crown, and I’ll be in every painting behind him, judging.”
- “Raising a future king is a lot of pressure—especially when you’re murdered for it.”
- “Lineage: where revenge gets inherited too.”
- “I didn’t chase the throne. I left it in my will.”
- “Fathers plant trees they’ll never sit under. I left a throne with a ghost story.”
7. On Court Politics and Nobility
- “Court life: where smiling means nothing and trust is a liability.”
- “There are two kinds of nobles: the ones who dine and the ones who get dined on.”
- “I survived war, only to die from politics.”
- “Palace politics: dress nice, speak carefully, die suspiciously.”
- “The noble thing isn’t always the safest thing. Ask me how I know.”
- “Being honest in court is like bringing a spoon to a sword fight.”
- “Nobility: judged more by your death scene than your deeds.”
- “Trust no one in royal robes without asking where they got them.”
- “Shakespearean nobility: a death sentence in iambic pentameter.”
- “In the land of ambition, the quiet man dies first.”
8. On Shakespearean Irony and Humor
- “Imagine dying, only to be remembered as ‘the other guy who got a prophecy.’”
- “I didn’t get the crown, but I did get a killer scene.”
- “Who needs a soliloquy when you can haunt in silence?”
- “Shakespeare gave me dignity, death, and the best awkward dinner scene ever.”
- “I died noble—but mostly, I died before act three.”
- “Being noble in a tragedy is a guaranteed exit strategy.”
- “All I wanted was peace. Instead, I got posthumous screen time.”
- “If I had a dime for every time someone said ‘Banquo deserved better,’ I could buy a safer storyline.”
- “Not all heroes get a crown—some just get ghost gigs.”
- “Banquo: the moral compass who ended up as a decorative haunting.”
Conclusion
Banquo may not have delivered the blood-curdling speeches of Macbeth or the ambition of Lady M, but his quiet strength, sharp instincts, and memorable afterlife appearance make him one of Shakespeare’s most subtly iconic characters. These Banquo quotes celebrate his wit, his wisdom, and his role as both hero and haunting.
Which quote was your favorite? Share your thoughts, reimaginings, or ghostly giggles in the comments below. And if you know someone who loves a little Shakespeare with sarcasm, pass this post along—it’s what Banquo would’ve wanted (probably).