BANQUO'S SON - T.K. Roxborogh
BANQUO'S SON - T.K. Roxborogh
Written by Sian Rafferty   
Friday, 27 November 2009 08:48
Banquo's Son Out of all of Shakespeare’s plays, 'Macbeth' is the one which most lingers in my mind. The crackling of the weird and unnatural, resonating inside a lost man torn apart by his hunger for power is one which deeply touches all who read it. To take on the task of imagining a sequel to this tragic tale is one which could go terribly wrong. How can someone possibly seek to compete with the Bard himself? Yet New Zealander T.K. Roxborogh has taken the task upon herself in her new book ‘BANQUO’S SON', constructing a new ‘what could have been’ story set in medieval Britain.

The story focuses on Fleance; the orphaned son of Banquo, Macbeth’s right hand man. In Shakespeare’s tale Banquo was murdered when Macbeth suddenly grew suspicious of his best friend, as the paranoia which so often accompanies tyranny, grew rooted in his mind. Therefore Roxborogh’s story focuses on a young man struggling to avenge his father’s murder, along the way discovering his true place in the world of divided Scotland.
Banquo’s boots were never going to be easy ones to fill. Shakespeare presents him as an almost perfect character, the complete opposite of Macbeth. Both are told their futures by three weird and wandering witches, yet Banquo never lets lust for power corrupt his outstanding morals. Roxborogh presents Fleance as a man struggling to try and live up to his father’s spotless name, while at the same time still showing a flawed and entirely human young man with a hothead and maybe a little too much pride. Saying that, she never really strays from white shining knight territory; this is still a man with chistled facial features and bulging muscles who all the girlies fall for. For all his flaws, Fleance is thoroughly the archetypal hero.

It’s the supporting characters which turn out to be a lot more interesting. Roxborogh’s strength is in pulling characters from Shakespeare’s play who exist in only passing mention, and totally creating a background and personality from minimal material. Take for example, Donalbain; who is only mentioned briefly as Duncan’s son. In Roxborogh’s book she creates a whole story for the minor character: a madman pushed into being the new king, but never being able to fully grasp reality. She also gives a more historically realistic view of the Weird Sisters, the witches who prophesied Macbeth’s rise in power. In Macbeth they were the driving force of the novel, pushing the main characters into events beyond control. Yet in ‘Banquo’s Son’ when encountered, they are brushed off as mad and inconsequential beings, not really playing any significant role in the story.

When you get down to it, ‘Banquo’s Son’ is essentially a love story. The trials of a man who has fallen for two women: the woman his heart wants and the lady his brain tells him he should marry. Here I found the story wears thin. I never really saw what Fleance saw in Rosie, his love-at-first-sight sweatheart. Their spark never really translates through the page. Rachel, a princess of Scotland, and Fleance’s duty to marry in a way, seems to have more going for her. To be honest I just can’t see why Fleance struggles between these two women. Surely the answer is obvious.

If you are looking for a literary masterpiece to rival Shakespeare’s 'Macbeth', maybe give ‘Banquo’s Son’ a miss. Yet if you are looking for a ripping ride through Dark Age Scotland, with dashing princes, witches and corrupt kings, go ahead and give Roxborogh’s book a try.
 

Show Other Articles From This Author