Duncan also has a strong sense of wrong and right. He rewards good and punishes bad which is shown when Macbeth and Banquo return from the fight and Duncan says “more is thy due than more than all I can pay”. This means that Macbeth has done so much that the king cannot even pay him back and the rewards him by giving him the title of Thane of Cawdor. He also shows that he is able to punish when he says that the Thane of Cawdor “shall no longer deceive or bosom interest” and orders his execution. This quality of rewarding right and punishing wrong is a vital quality for a good king.
Duncan also does everything in public like announcing his son Malcolm the “Prince of Cumberland” meaning he is now the heir to the throne. He announces this in front of many people including Macbeth and Macbeth begins to feel jealous and longs to become king himself. This is when his plot to the murder the king begins to form inside of Macbeth’s head. However he is still not convinced and is simply wondering whether he needs an extra push.
When Macbeth is convinced by Lady Macbeth, a vile woman, to finally commit regicide it really shows how important the king was to Elizabethan people. After Duncan's death the land is in chaos and old man says "On Tuesday last, A falcon, towering in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd" which means that a falcon flying in the air was attacked and killed by an owl who usually goes after mice. Ross also says that Duncan's horses have “Turn’d wild in nature” and began to attack and eat each other. All of this shows how important the kings were to the land. The king is the one who keeps everything running and is the most important person. Kings where considered to be anointed meaning that they where holy and the bridge between heaven and earth which is one of the reasons why Duncan's murder is considered so terrible because was thought to be almost god like.
When Macbeth takes over the throne he is a good example of a terrible monarch. For a start he has usurped the throne by murdering the good king before him. One of his first actions is to order the murder of his best friends Banquo and Banquo’s son. He commits this terrible deeds because one of the witches prophecies that one of Banquo’s relatives will become King of Scotland. So Macbeth panics not wanting to lose his kingship and he kills them. However, only Banquo is murdered and Fleance, his son escapes, even though Macbeth says Fleance must “embrace the fate of that dark hour” a sick thing to say. He also starts to lose his mind when he starts to see things such as, at a feast he holds in honour of Banquo, even though he has just ordered the murder of him he comes in and invites Banquo to sit down but he cannot see a free place. One of the thanes points at a seat and to Macbeth’s horror sitting in the seat is Banquo’s Ghost. Macbeth shouts “Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake,Thy gory locks at me” to which everyone banquet is extremely puzzled.Before that, when he is about to murder Duncan, he sees a bloody dagger suspended in the air which symbolizes the dagger he is about to use to commit regicide. These show that Macbeth is already mentally unstable. His decision to revisit the witches further reiterates the point that he is unstable. Macbeth finally tips over the edge when he arranges the murder of Macduff family. His soldiers go to his castle and murder every man, woman and child there. This is a brutal act which infuriates Macduff and it truly shows that Macbeth has become a sick and twisted man. Macbeth is shown as having all the traits of bad king brutal, selfish and cruel.
Later on in the play King Edward of England is introduced. He is a completely different character to Macbeth. Edward is a perfect example of a good king. He shows mercy to Malcolm whom he protects. An unknown lord describes Malcolm as being “receiv’d of the most pious edward with such grace” meaning the saintly King Edward is treating him so well. Edward is also shown as having a strong sense of justice which can be by his decision to fight against they tyrant Macbeth, so that the people of Scotland may have stableness and peace once again. Many people even considered him to be holy believing that he could cure a disease could the kings evil simply with his touch all those who where “swoll’n and ulcerous” came to the king to be cured this is important as he showed he was half way to god.
When Macbeth’s castle is stormed by the King of England’s soldiers the rightful King Duncan’s son, Malcolm, takes his place as king. He correctly describes Macbeth as a “dead butcher” and Lady Macbeth as “fiend like”. Malcolm shows one of qualities of his father Duncan by rewarding the men who fought by naming them earls of Scotland. He is a similar ruler to his father.
