Character- King Duncan Flashcards
Quotations + Grade 9 analysis
“There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face.”
Act 1, Scene 4
-Metaphor: “Construction” = inner thoughts, “face” = appearance.
-Dramatic Irony: Duncan says this about the previous Thane of Cawdor — just before placing the same trust in Macbeth, who will betray him.
-Grade 9 Insight: Shakespeare presents Duncan as a naïve but kind ruler. He values trust but cannot detect deceit, reinforcing the theme of appearance vs reality and foreshadowing his own fate.
Theme: Kingship & Leadership
“But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine / On all deservers.”
Act 1, Scene 4
-Simile: Comparing noble character to “stars” — shining brightly for all to see.
-Irony: Macbeth will later wish the stars hide their light so his “black and deep desires” stay hidden.
-Grade 9 Insight: Duncan represents the natural order, rewarding loyalty and honour. His language reflects a belief in moral goodness, which is tragically exploited.
Theme: Kingship & Leadership
“He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust.”
Act 1, Scene 4
-Metaphor: “Built” a foundation of trust on someone — only for it to collapse.
-Irony: Duncan has misjudged both Cawdor and Macbeth — highlighting his tragic inability to see beyond appearances.
-Grade 9 Insight: Shakespeare presents Duncan as a tragic victim, a good king whose virtue blinds him to treachery. This makes Macbeth’s betrayal more devastating.
Theme: Trust & Betrayal
“What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.”
Act 1, Scene 2
-Chiasmus / Juxtaposition: One man’s fall = another man’s rise.
-Foreshadowing: Macbeth inherits Cawdor’s title — and, later, his traitorous path.
-Grade 9 Insight: Shakespeare subtly shows that Macbeth is replacing another traitor, suggesting a cyclical pattern of betrayal and downfall.
Theme: Trust & Betrayal
“Only I have left to say, / More is thy due than more than all can pay.”
Act 1, Scene 4 – to Macbeth
-Hyperbole: Duncan feels indebted to Macbeth’s bravery in battle.
-Dramatic Irony: He says this to the very man who will murder him.
-Grade 9 Insight: Duncan’s kindness is genuine but blind. Shakespeare uses Duncan’s overwhelming gratitude to intensify the horror of Macbeth’s betrayal — the more generous Duncan is, the more monstrous Macbeth becomes.
Theme: Gratitude & Generosity
