Act I Scene II
The audience will have a mixed response to the character of King Duncan based on this scene. The fact that two of his lords are in open rebellion against him reflect poorly on his kingship. It is not exactly clear why they have rebelled. It could have been because he had ruled the country quite badly, or perhaps they are simply of poor character. Either scenario points to a weak and ineffective king. We are also presented with an image of Scotland in turmoil. The audience has witnessed evil witches in barren heaths, bloody battlegrounds, and a neighbouring nation that wants to capitalize on Scotland’s weakness for its own benefit. Again, none of these reflect well on the king.
There are, however, some positives. Duncan is generous in his praise of Macbeth. He is quick to reward him for his bravery and loyalty. He is decisive in his dealings with the traitor, Cawdor. By the end of the scene, the audience is left with a picture of a good-natured but imperfect king.
There are, however, some positives. Duncan is generous in his praise of Macbeth. He is quick to reward him for his bravery and loyalty. He is decisive in his dealings with the traitor, Cawdor. By the end of the scene, the audience is left with a picture of a good-natured but imperfect king.
Act I, Scene IV
In this scene, Duncan is yet again shown to be a flawed king and a poor judge of character. He had full trust in the previous Thane of Cawdor, never expecting him to rebel, and still calls him a gentleman. The Thane then rebelled against him, demolishing his trust. This reflects Duncan’s poor judge of character for having put his trust in the rebel in the first place, and on his poor kingship, having given the Thane reason to rebel against him.
“There’s no art
To find the mind’s construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust.”
We also see that Duncan can be insensitive at times: he greatly praises the services of Macbeth and Banquo, stating that he will forever be in their debt. Despite saying that Banquo is no less deserving than Macbeth, he still treats Banquo differently, as though he is inferior. Macbeth is honoured as Thane of Cawdor, while all Banquo receives is empty praise.
“Noble Banquo,
Thou hast no less deserved, nor must be known
No less to have done so, let me infold thee
And hold thee to my heart.”
Duncan again shows his insensitivity when, in the middle of praising his two most honoured soldiers, he suddenly steals their limelight and formally makes his son Malcolm successor to the throne. This poorly-timed announcement could have been made at any time, yet Duncan foolishly chooses to make it at an important moment which should have honoured Macbeth.
“Sons, Kinsmen, Thanes,
And you whose places are nearest, know
We will establish our estate upon
Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
The Prince of Cumberland: which honour must
Not unaccompanied invest him only,
But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine
On all deservers.”
Finally, Duncan appears to be an overly trusting character. His previous Thane of Cawdor has just been killed for rebelling, and already he is putting absolute trust in his new Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth. Only time will tell how worthy this new Thane will be.
“My worthy Cawdor!”
“There’s no art
To find the mind’s construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust.”
We also see that Duncan can be insensitive at times: he greatly praises the services of Macbeth and Banquo, stating that he will forever be in their debt. Despite saying that Banquo is no less deserving than Macbeth, he still treats Banquo differently, as though he is inferior. Macbeth is honoured as Thane of Cawdor, while all Banquo receives is empty praise.
“Noble Banquo,
Thou hast no less deserved, nor must be known
No less to have done so, let me infold thee
And hold thee to my heart.”
Duncan again shows his insensitivity when, in the middle of praising his two most honoured soldiers, he suddenly steals their limelight and formally makes his son Malcolm successor to the throne. This poorly-timed announcement could have been made at any time, yet Duncan foolishly chooses to make it at an important moment which should have honoured Macbeth.
“Sons, Kinsmen, Thanes,
And you whose places are nearest, know
We will establish our estate upon
Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
The Prince of Cumberland: which honour must
Not unaccompanied invest him only,
But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine
On all deservers.”
Finally, Duncan appears to be an overly trusting character. His previous Thane of Cawdor has just been killed for rebelling, and already he is putting absolute trust in his new Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth. Only time will tell how worthy this new Thane will be.
“My worthy Cawdor!”
King Duncan and his Kingship
- The character of Duncan provokes different reactions across the audience: he is not merely a one-dimensional character.
- As a person, he seems to be kind and polite. Upon Macbeth's victory against the rebels, Duncan rewards him with a new title as Thane of Cawdor, and honours him with a royal visit to his castle. He compliments Lady Macbeth on her hosting and continually regards Macbeth as worthy, valiant, and many other generously positive adjectives. Despite his naivety, there is something to be said for such a trusting, good-natured king.
- Although his innocence and willingness to give away his trust could be in some ways endearing, King Duncan’s naivety is a major flaw in his personality. People he trusts fully turn out to be villains and deceive him, yet he does not learn from his repeated mistakes. Two of his trusted lords have rebelled against him and teamed up with rival countries, and Macbeth, his subject and a member of his own family, has killed him to steal his kingship.
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