Abuse of Power and Kingship

• Abuse of Power and Kingship context

  - James I on throne, and people divided about how country should be run

  - ongoing religous conflict with prodestants and catholics

  - Shakespeare compares his characters and their approaches to their reigns, some were successful and others weren't, might have been his way of insinuating qualities he felt we're more important
• How are kingship and power linked throughout the play?

  - they are intrinsically (tightly) linked within the play

  - possibility of ascending the throne is the driving force behind the motivations of many of the characters ( Lady Macbeth and Macbeth)
• How does Shakespeare contrast the way characters behave towards the possibility of power through reigning?

  - Duncan is presented as righteous and benevolent while Macbeth is presented as violent and abuses his power

  - Duncan's successful reign emphasises how disastrous Macbeth's reign was
• In Macbeth, Shakespeare compares different characters and their approaches to their reigns
• Some characters are successful rulers while others are not
• Duncan rewards those who do good and punishes traitors
• Duncan's court is stable and balanced, the pinnacle of justice
• Duncan produces an heir to ensure political stability and security
• Duncan is shown to be invested in the success of others
• Macbeth is initially admired for his noble qualities
• Macbeth's noble traits disappear as he becomes corrupt
• Macbeth's ascension to the throne is unrighteous
• Macbeth's leadership is callous and lacks love and trust
• Macbeth's lack of lineage and heirs solidifies his poor kingship
• The death of Duncan brings chaos and distress, reflecting his good rule
• Shakespeare believed a good monarch was needed to provide stability, security, and progress
• Lexis from the semantic field of chaos and destruction, such as “dire combustion”, “clamoured”, and “shake”, reflects how Duncan’s murder has gone against nature
• “Feverous” connotes disease, suggesting Macbeth’s deed has brought sickness to the land
• “Lamentings”, “strange screams of death”, and “prophesying” are references to the murder and the Witches, echoing the grief and “tears” Macbeth predicted in 1.7
• Duncan’s death has had a permanent effect on the weather and the daylight
• The “dark night” symbolises the wickedness that now dominates the world
• The semantic field of death and murder, “strangles”, “entomb”, “living”, proves Duncan’s death has impacted the whole world, so that everything is murderous or tainted by decay
• “Like the deed that’s done” implies the state of the world has altered to mirror the murder
• Duncan’s corpse is described with allusions to piety and royalty, reflecting how the death of a king is the death of God’s chosen representative on earth
• The adjective “sacrilegious” alludes to the Divine Right of Kings
• By presenting Duncan’s corpse as a “temple” made of “silver” and “gold”, Shakespeare implies he wasn’t human
• Macbeth’s death is celebrated by his subjects and presented as a moment of liberation for Scotland
• Macbeth is referred to as a “hell-hound” and a “dead butcher and his fiend-like queen”, connoting the Devil
• Macduff is unapologetic in his criticism of Macbeth and only wants the best for his country
• Macduff expresses how patriotic he is, mourning for his country’s loss
• Macduff is dismayed by the fate of his country because of the king who rules it
• Macduff presents greed and unchecked ambition as bad qualities in a monarch
• Malcolm finally takes his rightful place on the throne at the end of the play
• Malcolm possesses wisdom and compassion, similar to his father, but is not as naive or gullible
• The metaphor of ritual sacrifice conveys Macbeth’s bloodthirst, unruly power, and warped sense of his own importance
• The juxtaposition between Malcolm as an “innocent lamb” and Macbeth as an “angry god” reveals the advantage Macbeth has as king
• Malcolm condemns Macbeth for being a violent, vengeful ruler
• Malcolm worries for Scotland’s future, treating it as a loved one or vulnerable person
• The personification of Scotland emphasises its importance to Malcolm
• Kingship can be seen as the destination or goal of all the action in the play