Even Macbeth , when planning to kill Duncan , admits that he is indeed something special , and aknowledges his qualities “And pity , like a naked new-born babe , striding the blast , or heaven’s cherubin , horsed upon the sightless couriers of the air , shall blow the horrid deed in every eye , that tears shall drown the wind .” Duncan’s generosity affected Macbeth who was good in heart but the greed and his wife turned him against his King and friend .
The King Duncan was well respected everywhere in Scotland . Here is the part when Malcolm speaks about him and praises him “The king-becoming graces as justice , verity , temp’rance , stableness , bounty , perservance , mercy , lowliness , devotion , patience , courage , fortitude…” So Malcolm doesn’t actually mantion Duncan , but Shakespeare indirectly told us all the good characteristics that he had .
You can clearly see Shakespeare’s attitude to kingship when he writes about the night when the King was killed “Lamentings heardi’ th’ air , strange screams of death…Some say , the earth was feverous and did shake” . This proves that Shakespeare believed that the king is holy , and killing him would infuriate the God .
As I said , Duncan’s only flaw is that he is too trusting . He really believed the first Thane of Cawdor “He was a gentleman in whom I placed and absolute trust” , but the Thane turned against him and made the rebellion . He got away with that because Macbeth saved him but when he gave Macbeth the tittle of Cawdor , he repeated the same mistake . This time he payed it with his own life . His mistake brought misery to all Scotish people who believed that he was an ideal monarch .
In the other hand we have , the main character in the book , Macbeth . Duncan is the pefect King with great character while Macbeth is ‘black Macbeth’ . Mabeth is described as the worst kind of monarch , “unititled tyrant bloody sceptr’d” . He killed the King who was sent by God so he stopped that ‘natural cycle’ , he dared to defy God and that meant that he is doomed forever .
Through the play Shakespeare shows us that Macbeth is cursed . He also tells us how the new king changse when he gets the power . How he becomes greedy and evil , and what is he prepared to do , just to keep his throne safe and get rid of all enemies . Shakespeare believed in the ‘Divine Right of Kings’ so he had to show that anyone who kills a king suffers a dreadful fate to discourage any potential plotters against his own monarch .
The curse starts to accomplishes when Macbeth orders his , ex-best friend’s , Banquo’s assasination . He becomes a pathetic coward and uses all his power to afflict everyone around him . Even his “most faithful” friends start to hate him because of his behaviour and Duncan’s murder .
Lady Macbeth , which was an accoplice in the murder of the king gets the same fate as her husband . She cannot sleep anymore and she behaves very strange at nights “I have seen her rise from her bed , throw her nightgown upon her , unlock her closet , take forth paper , fold it , write upon ‘t , read it , afterwards seal it , and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep” . Lady Macbeth needs the priest more than a doctor but she is cut off from God . She cannot pray anymore , and she is going crazy day by day until the day she commits suicide .
After Banquo’s death Macbeth becomes a paranoid and he sees Banquos ghost , in the feast “Which of you have done this ? Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy glory locks at me” . Macbeth is also becoming crazy , Shakespeare tells us again that the murder of the King won’t go unpunished . Macbeth’s relationship with his wife is not good as it used to be , they barely even talk and Lady Macbeth is worried for him “Why do you keep alone…” His evil is rapidly increasing and there is no more good in his heart . The murders of Duncan and Banquo had some purpose but he slaughtered MacDuff’s family for his own pleasure “Give to the edge o’ th’ sword his wife , his babes , and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line .”
Macbeth is completely opposite from Duncan . Duncan had many friends , councellors and peple who can be trusted – people who loved him . Macbeth trusts no-one , not even his wife . His life becomes a horror , a nightmare , “a tale told by an idiot…nothing” .
Those were only Macbeth’s personal costs , but Scotland suffered too without Duncan . The Scotish people are extremly unhappy with Macbeth , and the crops wouldn’t grow well , people wale every day , Malcolm – “Alas , poor Scotland…”
In the end the play finishes with Macbeth’s murder . Shakespeare’s message ( which wasn’t written but we can find it ) is that disobeying God and breaking of the ‘Divine Right of Kings’ is something worst a man can do . It is totally unacceptable and is punished with the worst kind of death . That was Shakespeare’s attitude to kingship , as something special and extraordinary . Common folk cannot be the king…There exists one and only King and he can only be replaced by his son or relative . We saw the horrible pains and deaths of Macbeth and his wife , which prooved that Shakespeare is extremly devoted to kingship and old traditions . Duncan’s trusting nature threatens the stability of the kingdom . Malcolm is a new King and he has his father’s quaolities but not his flaws – he tells Macduff “modest wisdom plucks me from over-credulous haste.”
Malcolm needs to restore peace in Scotland and never lets some other Macbeth ruin his life and the life of all Scotish people .
by Petar Kaljevic , Grade 10
