Macbeth - Kingship
With detailed reference to the characters of Macbeth, Duncan, Malcolm and Edward in the play ‘Macbeth’, analyse William Shakespeare’s ideas and attributes towards kingship and assess what you think the audiences reaction to the play would be at the time.
Shakespeare’s ideas towards kingship can be seen throughout the play. He shows that a king should be chosen by divine right and shows the attributes of what a good king should be.
The play ‘Macbeth’ is set in medieval Scotland at the fictional time of King Duncan. Scotland is currently at war with the Norwegians when news of their victory comes through, with thanks to the two leaders of the army Macbeth and Banquo. On their travel home ...
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greatly suffers under his reign, this turns Lady Macbeth mad, and she eventually commits suicide. Macduff, eventually goes to England to ask for the help of the noble king Edward, who is highly respected for help to overthrow the leadership of Macbeth, and so the Anglo-Scottish revolt sees Macbeth to his death and Malcolm the son of Duncan is proclaimed king of Scotland.
Macbeth is the main character in the play and starts the play as a very hard fighting, loyal soldier whose bravery had just led the way to a victory over the Norwegians. It could be an essay in its own right to talk about how the character of Macbeth develops and changes, at the beginning he is a god-like hero –a firm, strong, loyal character. But through allowing his ambition to suppress his good qualities, he becomes ‘this tyrant’ (act4 sc3 L12 –Malcolm), this ‘dwarfish thief’ (act5 sc3 L12 –Angus) and this ‘hellhound’ (act5 sc6 L42 –Macduff). The character of Macbeth is a study of how one person can degenerate ...
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‘tyrant’ are to name but a few. Macduff comments, ‘not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evils, to top Macbeth.’ In act4 sc3 L57-60 Malcolm says, ‘I grant him bloody, luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful, sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin that has a name.’ Macduff shows a point that he believes that a king should be chosen by divine right (this also shows that Shakespeare as well believes in divine right) in act4 sc3, ‘with an untitled tyrant…’ But this is very different from the start of the play where words like ‘worthy thane’ were used to greet Macbeth. Also totally different to what is said about Duncan, ‘my liege’, ‘great king’ and after his ...
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"Macbeth - Kingship." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 1 Dec. 2004. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Kingship/18318>
"Macbeth - Kingship." Essayworld.com. December 1, 2004. Accessed April 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Kingship/18318.
"Macbeth - Kingship." Essayworld.com. December 1, 2004. Accessed April 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Kingship/18318.
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