Lord Banquo / ˈbæŋkwoʊ / , the Thane of Lochaber , is a character in William Shakespeare 's 1606 play Macbeth . In the play , he is at first an ally to Macbeth ( both are generals in the King 's army ) and they meet the Three Witches together . After prophesying that Macbeth will become king , the witches tell Banquo that he will not be king himself , but that his descendants will be . Later , Macbeth in his lust for power sees Banquo as a threat and has him murdered by two hired assassins ; Banquo 's son , Fleance , escapes . Banquo 's ghost returns in a later scene ( Banquet Scene ) , causing Macbeth to react with alarm during a public feast .

Question: character in macbeth who is murdered and appears as a ghost
Answer: Lord Banquo