kingmsanship

Question 1

What are Duncan’s best qualities?

Answer 1

noble, nurturing, responsible, strong, benevolent.

Question 2

“Signs of nobleness like stars shall shine on all deservers”

Answer 2

Duncan is willing to reward the good his people do and the simile connotes divine power, they’ll be rewarded hereafter too. Nobility is a distinguished trait and is visible

Question 3

“I have begun to plant thee and will labour to make thee full of growing”

Answer 3

Duncan invests in his followers, as seen by his comment to Banquo showing he is involved directly in improving his country by picking the finest soldiers

Question 4

Duncan is dedicated to….

Answer 4

the self improvement and success of others. He speaks with a semantic field of agriculture in “i have begun to plant thee” which connotes new life and nourishment presenting D as considerate

Question 5

“Hath borne his faculties so meek hath been so clear in his great office, his virtues”

Answer 5

Even Macbeth who wanted to kill Duncan acknowledges what a great leader he was, physically and mentally strong and virtuous.

Question 6

“More is thy due than more all can pay”

Answer 6

Duncan governs fairly, here he tells Macbeth he can never sufficiently repay him for winning the war and slaying Macdownald

Question 7

” Go pronounce present death and with his former title greet Macbeth”

Answer 7

Perfect example of Duncan punishing the traitors ordering the execution of the ex Thane of Cawdor while bestowing Macbeth the title for his bravery

Question 8

What does the exchange of titles while rewarding Macbeth and punishing traitors signify?

Answer 8

Duncan’s court is stable and balanced, the pinnacle of justice, hence the country is in peace

Question 9

” We will establish our estate upon our eldest Malcolm”

Answer 9

Jacobean audience believed it was strongly important for a heir to be produced so the country can remain steadfast. By ensuring a heir, Duncan cements he is a trustworthy heir and provides a vision of a safe future

Question 10

What is Duncan’s bad trait?
“He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust”

Answer 10

He is too trusting, relies heavily on his thanes. Duncan put his trust in a man who betrayed him to foreign armies suggesting he’s a poor judge of character

Question 11

How does Duncan not learn from his mistakes?

Answer 11

He trusts Macbeth blindly and is betrayed once again, even calling M his valiant cousin

Question 12

“There’s no art to find the mind’s constructions in the face”

Answer 12

This line, however, claims its impossible to sense deception. Shakespeare suggests the evil and treachery of others makes it impossible for a king to be wholly good. Kindness and respect are vulnerable to deceit. In theory, Duncan would be perfect king, but in reality he can’t contend with the wickedness of his peers

Question 13

“brave Macbeth”
“Bellona’s bridegroom”
“Valours minion”

Answer 13

At the beginning of the play Macbeth radiates all the perfect qualities to be a good king. He is noble, smart, strong however tempted by his ambition and power his nobility is washed away and ironically he murders D in his sleep like a coward

Question 14

How does the way Macbeth ascend to the throne signify he wouldn’t have been a good King?

Answer 14

Macbeth rose to the throne through betrayal, murder and deceit therefore there would be no logical way for him to have ruled Scotland respectably. He is not the rightful heir.

Question 15

How does power corrupt Macebth’s mind?

Answer 15

The thrill of power corrupts his mind and draws out his violent nature to be used in unlawful ways, hence making him unfit to be King

Question 16

“Those he commands move only in command nothing in love”
“None serve him but constrained things whose hearts are absent too”

Answer 16

As Macbeth’s soldiers prepare for battle we hear than no one respects him and only obey him out of duty not because the respect and admire him. His country and his people do not trust him and people have no love nor heart which is representative of his own callous nature

Question 17

” I could with my barefaced power sweep him from my sight”

Answer 17

Macbeth acknowledges his ability to control others using his violent means by pondering about what he can do with Banquo. “Barefaced” implies he could be shameless and outright in his murderous ways while sweeping him away presents an image of an almost greek god controlling reality

Question 18

The impact of having no heir after Macbeth
“No son of mine succeeding”

Answer 18

M’s poor kingship is solidified by his inability to produce a heir and continue his lineage. It is evident he feels emasculated by his inability to produce heirs because he complains pf Banquo’s ability to continue a line of Kings “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown” - fruit is symbolic of fertility and signifies how his crown can easily be overthrown with no heir

Question 19

Impact of Duncan’s death

Answer 19

D’s death brings an apocalyptic chaos showing how distressing his loss is. Lennox reports “The night was unruly, lamenting’s heard strange screams of death” “ the earth was feverous and did shake”, semantic field of destruction, D’s death defies nature. May be God’s anger and wrath.
feverous= disease M has brought sickness on the land

Question 20

Once Duncan’s body has been observed what follows?

Answer 20

Ross observes the “night’s predominance, darkness does the face of earth entomb”
D’s death has caused darkness to subdue.
dark night symbolises wickedness references to time implies even time has been damaged.
semantic field of death and murder, “strangle” “entomb” everything is murderous and tainted by decay

Question 21

How is Duncan’s corpse described?
“Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope, The Lord’s annointed temple, the life of the building”

Answer 21

described with allusions to piety and royalty
sacrilegious= divine right of kings
his body is a temple conveying his sanctity and importance
a temple of silver and gold= good king identified by his essence

Question 22

How is Macbeth’s death different?

Answer 22

He dies a tyrant. His death is celebrated and is a moment of liberation. He is “hell-hound” linking him to the devil. Hound dehumanises him, suggesting he is savage and brutal, or he is a slave to his violent nature

Question 23

What is Macduff’s significance in Kingship?

Answer 23

He is a loyal soldier who can kill Macbeth and is unapologetic in criticism of Macbeth. Though he kills Macbeth he doesn’t take the throne for himself and instead restores it to Malcolm

Question 24

“Bleed, bleed, poor country”

Answer 24

Macduff is patriotic and weeps at what Macbeth has done to Scotland. “Bleed” personifies Scotland, a monarch impacts the whole land. Blood contrasts with the harvest Duncan nurtured.

Question 25

“Boundless intemperance in nature is a tyranny”

Answer 25

Macduff presents greed and unchecked ambition as bad qualities in monarch when he talks to Malcolm though can be applied to Macbeth

Question 26

Discuss Malcolm’s ascension to the throne.

Answer 26

He takes his rightful place with a speech that shows he holds the same compassion his father did. He is pure and youthful, a symbol of hope but is not naive and gullible “There are daggers in men’s smiles”. However, he did choose to run away following D’s death for safety u but could be perceived as cowardice

Question 27

“offering up a weak, poor, innocent lamb t’appease an angry god” - Malcolm

Answer 27

Malcolm’s wisdom and shrewd perception are demonstrated when he ensures Macduff isn’t a spy. The metaphor of ritual sacrifice conveys Macbeth’s blood thirst, unruly power and warped sense of importance. Juxtaposition of lamb and an angry god is striking paints Malcolm as a victim. Makes moral differences between the two.

Question 28

“I think our country sinks beneath the yoke, it weeps, it bleeds and each day a new gash is added to her wounds”- Malcolm

Answer 28

He is patriotic, the epitome of a good heart and dedicated. He worries for his country. The personification of Scotland again emphasises its importance to Malcolm, treating it like a loved or vulnerable person, reflects how the monarch is tied to his land