Kingship

• Macduff believes a king should be chosen by God


  But Macbeth is not loyal to his king above all else
• Duncan was a great king


  Who was loved by everyone
• Duncan was easily trusting


  He doesn't learn from mistakes
• Banque and Macduff both love Duncan


  But don't love Macbeth when he is king
• Malcolm is less trusting


  He pretends he would be a bad king to test Macduff
• The Divine Right of Kings

  The belief that the monarch derives their right to rule directly from God and therefore is subject to no earthly authority
• Regicide of King Duncan


  Takes place off stage, a Jacobean audience would be horrified at the acts of Macbeth
• The Royal Touch


  A supernatural healing practice performed by English Kings and Queens on their ill subjects to cure them of their illness
• The Royal Touch was particularly used to cure the illness known as Scrofula or the 'King's Evil'
• The theory of the Divine Right of a King was very believable to most people and also gave them hope
• The play supports King James' rule by showing that the rightful king will always return to the throne
• Fleance escapes, showing that he is supposed to be king, and God will make sure that happens
• Duncan: '"No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death"'
• Macbeth: '"The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself"'
• Old Man: '"Tis unnatural like the deed that's done"'
• Duncan's role is to protect the people


  When Macdonald betrayed him, he betrayed Scotland too
• Kingship has difficult responsibilities


  The country is united against traitors - Loyalty and devotion to Scotland
• Shakespeare is suggesting a subject should be honoured to serve their king


  It is rewarding doing so
• The Old Man refers to the regicide of Duncan as 'unnatural'


  The divine right of kings has been disrupted and has gone against the will of God
• The metaphor of the falcon and the mousing owl


  Duncan was proud and mighty, whereas Macbeth is weaker
• Macbeth fears Banquo


  Banquo's sons will be kings, and Macbeth sees that as a threat to his unstable kingship
• Shakespeare references Banquo's 'royal nature'


  Banquo is better and more deserving of being a king, and he has more noble qualities
• Macbeth is 'playing the humble host'


  His kingship is a joke, he is pretending to be someone he is not, unnatural in his role
• The child crowned like a king


  Macbeth is like a child, he does not yet have the qualities to be a king. The role of a king cannot be trained or won but is predestined by God.
• The adjectives 'mercy, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage'


  Imply the qualities of a true king, which Macbeth lacks
• Lady Macbeth views the role of king as one of power and control


  She doesn't think she can be challenged by anyone, nor even God
• The 'giant's robe upon a dwarfish thief'

  If you are not destined to be king, you will be unable to fulfill the role
• Macbeth understands his actions are sinful


  Showing remorse in the immediate aftermath of the regicide, which could invoke sympathy from an audience
• The pressure from Lady Macbeth on Macbeth


  May build sympathy from an audience as Macbeth's initial treacherous acts are coerced and manipulated
• Being King did not bring the happiness and gratification Macbeth expected


  We feel sympathy for Macbeth as we see him spiral into a depressive state
• We have sympathy for King Duncan


  Due to the regicide committed by someone he trusted who should have been a loyal and devoted subject
• A king should be brave, compassionate and modest


  Shown through Malcolm's willingness to fight for his country, and Duncan's well-loved and honourable personality
• Duncan shows a lack of responsibility


  He is too easily trusting of Macdonald, and never learns from his mistakes which led to his death
• Malcolm is more responsible than Duncan


  He pretends he would be a bad king to test Macduff's loyalty so he doesn't make the same mistakes as his father
• Lady Macbeth: '"Out damned spot, out I say!"'
• Macbeth to Duncan: '"The service and the loyalty I owe, in doing it, pays itself"'
• Lady Macbeth: '"Fill me from the crown to the toe-top full of direst cruelty"'
• Macduff: '"Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope The Lord's anointed temple"'
• Macduff: '"Bleed, bleed poor country"'
• Malcolm: '"Mercy, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage"'