Morgan Adams Prompt 4 Betrayal and broken promises are prominent in the world of Shakespeare. You may think you know someone, but they could stab you in the back at any minute. Macbeth and his rule as King is a prime example of this. He used to be a loyal, honorable man, and now he is racking up his list of victims. Power can change a person completely. Therefore, when Malcolm and Macduff devise a plan to overthrow Macbeth and save Scotland, Malcolm needs to make sure the same thing won’t happen where Macduff goes crazy and puts the people at risk. Malcolm decides to put Macduff through a test to see where his loyalty lies. He feels the need to do this because nobody expected Macbeth to cause such immense chaos in Scotland and he wants to …show more content…
He starts off by mentioning how weird that everyone is suffering, but Macduff is doing just fine. The text states, “This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues, Was once thought honest; you have loved him well; He hath not touched you yet”. Malcolm does this to raise suspicion and ease into the big test. If there is any chance Macduff has the same traits as Macbeth, he cannot go through with the plan. Malcolm decides to list all of the traits a King should have and pretend that he has none of them, indicating he is going to reign terror on Scotland like Macbeth has. For instance, the text states, “As justice, verity, temp’rance, stableness, Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage, fortitude, I have no relish”. If Madcuff were to respond and imply that he did not care, Malcolm would know he was an unloyal man. Therefore, this is the perfect test. However, Macduff responds to his test with loyalty and says Malcolm was their last hope and that he is not fit to be King. For instance, the text states, “O Scotland, Scotland.These evils thou repeat’st upon thyself Have banished me from Scotland. O my breast, hope ends here”. Macduff cannot help but remain loyal to Scotland and chant that
Although he is expected to do great things all he does is bring tragic news onto others. In this part Ross went to England to tell MacDuff the bad news of his family. “Your castle is surprised, your wife and babes Savagely slaughtered. To relate the manner Were on the quarry of these murdered deer To add the death of you.” (4. 3. 240-243). Ross is telling MacDuff that his wife and his children have been murdered, and his castle has been captured. And that they are looking for MacDuff next, so they could kill him. Malcolm, the prince that fled to England then gave MacDuff ten thousand men to kill MacBeth and anyone who has helped him. Malcolm is helping MacDuff is because he also wants MacBeth dead. He wants him killed because of the bad stuff he has done. Although MacBeth was praised for killing men before, now he is being shamed for it. He is being shamed for it because his reason for killing is because he wants to regain all that power that he most likely never really had before. Now that he has power he wants it all. He is a greedy man, and that is another bad trait that MacBeth
Family kills family for power; people abandon their country out of fear and hatred. Loyalty, In the play it is something that is mentioned but never shown. Starting with the original Thane betraying Scotland. Macbeth is full of disloyalty and betrayal towards those seen as family. Lady Macbeth's relationship with Macbeth, Banquo to Macbeth, and Macbeth to the country. STUFF
After Macbeth brutally murders King Duncan for power and the title of King of Scotland, the country is in complete mayhem. Although the son of Duncan, Malcolm, has fled to England in order to remain safe from Macbeth’s dark intentions, he continues to stay strong and portray many specific attributes necessary to be a good ruler. In Act IV Scene iii of William Shakespeare’s famous Macbeth, Malcolm proves himself fit to be a successful king of Scotland.
Throughout Macbeth, the play focuses on the presence of the titular tragic hero, Macbeth. Even if Macbeth’s character and story arc is interesting, no insight into another integral character can be identified. Despite Malcolm's absence, one can gain this insight by looking at how other characters act and feel about Malcolm. Although Malcolm is not corrupted by power like Macbeth, Malcolm still has his ambition, as Macduff sparks the inner ambition of the newly named king. Which certainly is different than the ambition that Macbeth posses, being morally better and more valuable for a king. Malcolm is also quite clever, as the army depends on Malcolm's leadership and intelligence to lead the army to Dunsinane. With these qualities, Malcolm is
...o put Malcolm on the throne even greater. Macduff must be the one to kill Macbeth so that all those that were killed or hurt by Macbeth may be avenged. Macduff must do well by and for others as well as himself.
Throughout this play Malcolm and Macbeth display several characteristics; both strengths and weaknesses, yet each in their own way and timing. These characters are similar in some ways, but having like attributes doesn’t necessarily mean they are identical. One can be congruent, yet totally deviating at the same time. In analyzing the play “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare collected evidence in comparing the characters and their different ways of displaying similar characteristics; ambition, courage, and weaknesses are elaborated and portrayed, giving a better understanding of the characters.
...agitated and angered where when he asked Macduff to attend the feast, Macduff refused and he considered it an insult and what made him even angrier was the fact the Macduff fled to England to where Malcolm was to join forces with him thus he sent the murders to slaughter Macduff’s family thinking that it was a resolution but actually it was truly a motive for Macduff to attack Macbeth.
From the time Macbeth took the power of the Scottish throne, many more innocent civilians and royal officials have been executed by Macbeth to satisfy his lust for complete power. This central focus on power plunged the country into despair and lowered the wellbeing of his subjects, causing mass disapproval and speaking out from everyone; this subsequently led to Macbeth murdering anyone who spoke against him. This, as well as in seeking aid for Scotland, causes Macduff to travel to England, as, “For from broad words, and ‘cause he failed his presence at the tyrant’s feast, I hear Macduff lives in disgrace” (3, 22 – 23). Macbeth continues to ruin Scotland, causing Macduff to speak out, yet in a plain and concerned manner, rather than a boastful, selfish tone. Many would not dare speak against the king, as doing so ensures certain death. The courage of Macduff, however, does not prevent him from holding his tongue nor his actions, and he seeks to help Scotland without much regard for Macbeth’s backlash. This backlash, however, reaches Macduff’s family, and Macbeth orders everyone slain, which leaves only Macduff alive in England. Even though he no longer possesses anything in Scotland to physically fight for and protect, Macduff resolves to courageously fight for Scotland and rid it of Macbeth, while at the same time he works to avenge the murders of his family and household. Macduff’s final
One such character in “Macbeth” is Macduff, the Thane of Fife. Within the play, Macduff is the foil ; a character that exemplifies the contrasting characteristics of another character, who is Macbeth in this play. In stark contrast to Macbeth, Macduff resolves to restore peace and order in Scotland, which Macbeth has disrupted. After King Duncan's unfortunate demise and the coincidental murder of Scotland's Commander and Macbeth's dear friend, Banquo, Macduff suspects that Macbeth is not the “innocent flower”(1.5.56-57) he pretends to be. Macduff finds himself on the course to England, where Malcolm, the rightful heir to the throne, has found refuge. He wishes that Malcolm would reclaim the throne as the legitimate heir, which shows his allegiance to the royal family. Instead of grasping the throne for himself, he decides to endanger his family to restore the lawful king. When he was informed of the assassination of his kin, he was able to express his grief, like a true man. In this line Macduff mourns for the loss of his family, “...All my pretty ones/ Did you say "all"? O hell-kite! All? / What, all my pretty chickens and their dam/ At one fell swoop?”(4.3.255-258). Here, Macduff's immense capacity to sacrifice for the common good of his people is shown. Consequently, the following lines display his course of actions at the
Malcolm in William Shakespeare's Macbeth In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Malcolm is one of the more cautious characters in the play. He has the ability to realise appearances can be deceitful and that the person on the outside may not be as innocent as he or she is putting across. As Duncan's son he is the natural heir to the throne and is eventually made king at the end of the play after the death of Macbeth. Malcolm has a reasonably good relationship with his somewhat naïve father. After his father's death he is full of sorrow and wants to express his feelings.
Even though others question Macduff’s responsibility for his family’s murder, "Why in that rawness left you wife and child”, he ultimately left them out of love for both family and country. Macduff’s persistent desire to defeat Macbeth determines his loyalty to country, rather than to the tyrant Macbeth. From the beginning, Macduff has valued country over leader, so when Duncan is murdered, and Macbeth will be coronated, “Will you go to scone/No, cousin, I’ll to Fife” (2.4.35-36). Macduff doesn’t attend the coronation because he is suspicious of Macbeth and his possible involvement in Duncan’s
Furthermore, we also learn about Lady Macduff’s and her kids’ death. To prove this, Macbeth says in Act 4, scene 1 that he wants to kill Macduff and his family for joining Malcolm, the protagonist adds “The castle of Macduff I will surprise, / Seize upon Fife, give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword / His wife, babes, and all unfortunate swords / That trace him in his line.” Although many might argue that Macbeth was forced to kill Duncan, which caused him to kill everyone else, the protagonist could of have refused to follow his wife’s orders and refrain from the power he wants. From the quotations used, we can now tell that Macbeth is a monster due to the murders he
Macduff betrays Macbeth for the whole Scotland’s sake, however, it is still considered as a betrayal. Macduff says to Malcolm: ‘I think our country sinks beneath the yoke ;( 45) It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds.’ [Act 4 Scene III 45-7] The suggestion here is that Macduff is willing to heal Scotland’s wounds that Macbeth added. He also realizes that Scotland won’t be saved unless Malcolm to be the king instead of Macbeth. Thus, Macduff betrays Macbeth by encouraging Malcolm to replace Macbeth. Even though Macduff does this for good purposes, it is still considered as a betrayal.
The first meeting with the three witches (1.3) already laid out Macbeth’s moral as a negative kind. His decision to associate with the witches, who are known as the agents of Satan, implies that his mindset and his morals are not in the right place and that he has bad intentions. Then, after he becomes a king, he is not a virtuous one; he becomes known as a tyrant that kills everyone who opposes and that does not take good care of his kingdom. This is evident when Malcolm describes Scotland: “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 depicts the suffering of the citizens of Scotland and emphasizes the bad reign of Macbeth as detrimental to Scotland’s people. Contrastly, Macduff’s perspective of morals are righteous and he elicits positive reactions from the characters around him. He is able to distinguish evil from good: “This avarice sticks deeper, grows with more pernicious root than summer-seeming lust, and it hath been the sword our slain kings” (4.3). Macduff recognizes that lust for power has resulted in the fall of the rightful king, and his expression of such idea shows that he truly believes in crowning the rightful heir rather than trying to take the crown himself. He is characterized as a person with “good truth and honor”(4.3) by Malcolm and, most
...ction to the murder of his family. Macduff represents what true manhood is, a man that has emotions and feelings. When Macduff receives news of the murder of his family, he immediately starts to cry and grieve. Malcolm tells Macduff to "Dispute it like man", telling Macduff to stop crying and to act like a man (IV. iii. 256). Macduff responds with, "I shall do so;/ But I must also feel it as a man:" (IV. iii. 257-259). Macduff responds that he will deal with it like man; however, he will deal with it with emotions and feelings, as well as by taking action. Macduff's statement, in contrast to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, implies that it is okay for a man to have feelings and emotions, and that Manhood is more than just violence and action. Furthermore, unlike Macbeth, whose idea of masculinity causes serious character flaws, Macduff's idea actually helps him achieve his