Macbeth: Kingship and Power

Abuse of Power and Kingship

With James I's ascension, the qualities of a good king became a popular topic in England, amidst religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics.
Shakespeare's Macbeth compares different characters and their approaches to their reigns, implying his views on the most important qualities of a good monarch.
Kingship and power are intrinsically linked, with the possibility of ascending the throne driving the motivations of many characters, similar to Game of Thrones.
Shakespeare contrasts Duncan, a righteous and just king, with Macbeth, who is violent and abuses his power, prompting consideration of Shakespeare's purpose.

Duncan

Duncan possesses qualities of a great king: noble, nurturing, responsible, and a strong leader.
His successful reign emphasizes how disastrous Macbeth is as a king.

Benevolent Ruler

Duncan is a just and benevolent ruler, rewarding those who do good, stating “Signs of nobleness like stars shall shine / On all deservers,” (1.4).
Virtue and nobility are presented as visible traits, with the simile “like stars shall shine” connoting divine power and aligning “deservers” with God, implying rewards in the afterlife.
Duncan is invested in his followers, saying, “I have begun to plant thee and will labour / To make thee full of growing,” (1.4), presenting him as nurturing and considerate using the semantic field of agriculture.

Fair

Duncan governs fairly, rewarding those who do good, telling Macbeth, “More is thy due than more than all can pay,” (1.4).
He punishes traitors, ordering the execution of the Thane of Cawdor: “Go pronounce his present death / And with his former title greet Macbeth,” (1.2).
This exchange of titles presents a stable and balanced country, with Duncan’s court appearing as the pinnacle of justice, while foreshadowing Macbeth’s betrayal.

Produces an Heir

Providing the country with an heir ensures political stability and security, important to the Jacobean audience, which knew the trouble that a monarch dying without an heir would have created.
Duncan announces that his son Malcolm will be his heir-apparent: “We will establish our estate upon / Our eldest, Malcolm,” (1.4).
Shakespeare establishes Duncan as a trustworthy king, providing a vision of a safe future that is ruined by Macbeth.

Too Trusting?

Duncan is perhaps too trusting, relying heavily on his Thanes to maintain order, rather than leading his men into battle.
Reflecting on the previous Thane of Cawdor’s death, he says, “There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face. / He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust,” (1.4), showing he has a poor judgement of character.
There is dramatic irony in this statement, as Macbeth is plotting to murder him.

Doesn’t Learn from his Mistakes

Macbeth is another one of Duncan’s trusted Thanes, called his “valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” (1.2), meaning the betrayal repeats itself and Duncan doesn't learn from his mistakes.
Suggesting the evil and treachery of others makes it impossible for a king to be wholly good, and kindness and respect are vulnerable to deceit.
In theory, Duncan would be the perfect king, but in reality, he cannot contend with the wickedness of his peers.

Macbeth

At the start of the play, Macbeth has the ideal qualities of a noble king. The Captain calls him “brave Macbeth”, “Bellona’s bridegroom”, and “Valour’s minion” (1.2).
As Macbeth becomes closer to the throne he becomes more corrupt, and by the time he kills Duncan, his transformation is complete.
Shakespeare explores how power corrupts the minds of men, and the impact of a king’s reign on his country, studying the effects of a tyrant on the throne.

Callous Leadership

The audience hears reports of how “those he commands, move only in command, / Nothing in love” (5.2), and “none serve him but constrained things / Whose hearts are absent too” (5.4).
This shows how unsuccessful he has been at maintaining order and trust in his people, and his country has no “love” or “heart” which is representative of his own callous nature.
Macbeth acknowledges his ability to control others using violent means by saying that “I could with my barefaced power sweep him from my sight, / And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not,” (3.1) when pondering what to do about Banquo.

No Heir

Macbeth’s poor kingship is solidified by his lack of lineage and heirs, and he feels emasculated by his inability to produce an heir.
Remembering the Witches’ prophecy for Banquo, he complains, “They hailed him father to a line of kings. / Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown / And put a barren sceptre in my gripe, / Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand, / No son of mine succeeding,” (3.1).

The Death of a King

The reaction to Duncan’s death compared to Macbeth’s death is reflective of how both kings ruled, and how they were viewed by their country.
The impact each death has on the environment expresses Shakespeare’s views on kingship and tyranny.
He believed a good monarch was needed to provide stability, security, and progress.

Duncan

Duncan’s death seems to bring about a sort of apocalyptic chaos, showing how atrocious and distressing his murder is. Lennox reports, “The night has been unruly […] Lamentings heard i’th’air, strange screams of death / And prophesying with accents terrible / Of dire combustion and confused events, / New hatched to th’woeful time. The obscure bird / Clamoured the livelong night. Some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake,” (2.3).
Lexis from the semantic field of chaos and destruction reflects how Duncan’s murder has gone against nature, symbolising God’s anger and wrath.
“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.
Ross observes, “By th’clock ‘tis day / And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. / Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame, / That darkness does the face of earth entomb / When living light should kiss it?” (2.4).
The “dark night” symbolises the wickedness that now dominates the world.
The reference to “th’clock”, “day” and “night” implies time itself has stopped.
The semantic field of death and murder proves Duncan’s death has impacted the whole world, so that everything is murderous or tainted by decay.
The Old Man remarks to Ross, “‘Tis unnatural, / Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last, / A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place / Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed,” (2.4), and states that the state of the world has altered to mirror the murder.
The “falcon”, symbolising Duncan, is killed by a “mousing owl”, symbolising Macbeth, with the incident being an omen of what was to come.
Macduff describes the crime scene, “Confusion now hath made his masterpiece: / Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope / The Lord’s anointed temple and stole thence / The life o’th’building,” (2.3).
The adjective “sacrilegious” alludes to the Divine Right of Kings, and Duncan’s body is described as “The Lord’s anointed temple”, conveying his sanctity and importance.
By presenting Duncan’s corpse as a “temple” made of “silver” and “gold”, Shakespeare implies he wasn’t human. This means the qualities of a good king go beyond his mind. A good king can be identified from his very form and essence.

Macbeth

In contrast, Macbeth’s death is celebrated by his subjects as a moment of liberation for Scotland.
While Duncan is portrayed with angelic and godlike descriptions, Macbeth is referred to as a “hell-hound” (5.8) and a “dead butcher and his fiend-like queen” (5.9), connoting the Devil.
“Hound” dehumanises him, suggesting he is savage and brutish. Alternatively, it implies he was a slave to violence or to his master, the Devil.
Macbeth has lost his noble titles and is universally hated - a stark contrast from his reputation at the beginning of the play.

Macduff

As a loyal statesman and the only one who can kill Macbeth, Macduff is able to speak out about how the country should be run.
He is unapologetic in his criticism of Macbeth and only wants the best for his country.
Though he kills Macbeth, he doesn’t take the crown for himself, instead respecting God’s will and giving it back to the heir-apparent.

Patriotic

Macduff expresses what it is to be a good king, and mourns for his country’s loss. He weeps, “Bleed, bleed, poor country. / Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis sure, / For goodness dare not check thee,” showing how patriotic he is.
The phrase “bleed, bleed” personifies Scotland, portraying it as a wounded body, contrasting with the living, nurtured “harvest” Duncan created.
The phrase “For goodness dare not check thee” shows how “tyranny” is allowed to thrive unchallenged because of the power that comes with it and the fear it instills in others.
When he hears Malcolm lie about his flaws, he cries out, “Fit to govern? / No, not to live. - O nation miserable! / With an untitled tyrant, bloody-sceptred, / When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again? (4.3)”.
Macduff is dismayed by the fate of his country because of the king who rules it, and suggests the country is “miserable” because it is governed by a usurper who went against the will of God.
The rhetorical question and answer he supplies, “Fit to govern? / No, not to live,” implies being an inadequate, corrupt king is a crime worthy of death.
Macduff presents greed and unchecked ambition as bad qualities in a monarch, saying, “Boundless intemperance / In nature is a tyranny; it hath been / Th’untimely emptying of the happy throne / And fall of many kings,” (4.3).
Saying it is a “tyranny” acknowledges how people will go to any lengths possible to satisfy their desires if they lack restraint.
“Th’untimely emptying of the happy throne” may imply that even good kings can be corrupted by power, so that they lose their noble qualities.

Malcolm

Malcolm finally takes his rightful place on the throne at the end of the play, with a speech that shows he possesses the same wisdom and compassion as his father did.
Though he is pure and youthful, a symbol of hope, he is not as naive or gullible as his father. However, he chose to run away after his father’s murder which could be seen as a sign of cowardice.

Traits of a Noble King

Malcolm’s wisdom and shrewd perception are demonstrated when he checks that Macduff isn’t a spy sent by Macbeth. He suspects Macduff of “offer[ing] up a weak, poor, innocent lamb / T’appease an angry god,” (4.3).
The juxtaposition between Malcolm as an “innocent lamb” and Macbeth as an “angry god” reveals the advantage Macbeth has as king, leading to a severe power imbalance.
It also makes the moral differences between them clear, with Malcolm condemning Macbeth for being a violent, vengeful ruler.
He notes, “A good and virtuous nature may recoil / In an imperial charge,” proving he is aware of power’s ability to corrupt even the most moral of men.

Patriotic

Shakespeare portrays Malcolm as the epitome of a pure, honest, and dedicated king.
Like Macduff, he worries for Scotland’s future, saying, “I think our country sinks beneath the yoke; / It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash / Is added to her wounds,” (4.3).
The personification of Scotland again emphasises its importance to Malcolm, treating it as a loved one or vulnerable person, and reflects how a country can suffer in the same way a person can.

Development of the Theme

The idea of kingship and what it takes to be king is introduced as soon as the Witches give their prophecy to Macbeth.
Kingship can be seen as the destination or goal of all the action in the play.
The political action surrounding the monarchy is an allegory for Britain’s own history and current climate.
Kingship is associated with violence and chaos, but also order and justice. It all depends on who is in charge.
In the play, Shakespeare presents us with four examples of kings: Duncan, Macbeth, Malcolm, and Edward of England.
We never see Edward in person, but we hear of his virtues and how he heals the sick in his own country. He also kindly offers an army to help overthrow Macbeth.
The chaos and unrest of Scotland therefore unfolds in the foreground of England’s stable peace.
Each king is an archetype of a certain kind of ruler.
Shakespeare’s messages about kingship are as evident in the differences between them as they are in the actions of the kings themselves.
Malcolm’s wariness has more successful results than his father’s gullibility, while Macbeth’s “butcher” persona breeds a different atmosphere to Edward’s merciful healing.