Characters

• King Duncan

  • King of Scotland
  • His victories have made him a popular king
  • When Macbeth initially decides not to kill the king, he gives Duncan's many qualities as his reasons
  • He names his eldest son—Malcolm—as his heir
  • He dies at the hands of Macbeth, disrupting the Chain of Being or Natural Order
  • Too trusting—his trust in the original Thane of Cawdor was betrayed, as was his trust in Macbeth
• Malcolm

  • Duncan's rightful heir
  • Leaves for England after his father's murder and enlists the support of the English king and English lords
  • Shown as being noble and deserving of the throne
  • The embodiment of all that is good in kingship
  • His restoration to the Scottish throne is essential for the Chain of Being/Natural Order to be restored