Kingship

Question 1

‘his virtues will plead like angels… against his taking off’ (Macbeth)

Answer 1

CRILD:
L = simile. Duncan is such a morally good king, heaven will react with horror to his murder and make sure the murderer is discovered.
C = DRK. Jacobeans believed King was appointed by God. To kill a king = act against God. God will punish murderer

Question 2

‘The earth was feverous and did shake’

Answer 2

CRILD:
L= personification. The murder of King Duncan negatively affects the whole country D = MB’s act of murder has brought moral sickness to the land.
C= Gunpowder Plot had just tried to murder James 1. Play warns of terrible consequences of murdering a king

Question 3

‘barren sceptre’

‘fruitless crown’

Answer 3

CRILD:
L = adjective. MB is obsessed with his own descendants becoming kings and not Banquo’s children, as the witches predicted. Fears he’s damned himself for benefit of Banquo’s children.
C = Flatters James 1 – he was one of Banquo’s descendants

Question 4

‘justice, verity’
‘bloody, false’

Answer 4

CRILD:
L = Malcolm and Macduff’s conversations describes the virtues a king should have – honesty and fairness. These are contrasted with adjectives used to describe Macbeth as king – he is murderous and a liar, not fit to be a king

Question 5

‘it weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds’

Answer 5

CRILD:
L = personification. Macbeth’s bloody kingship has destroyed the country in contrast to King Edward who heals his subjects. Scotland is like a whipped slave or beast of burden suffering under his rule.
C = The Jacobeans believed that a king should be like a father to his subjects. Macbeth is the opposite

Question 6

‘by the grace of Grace’

Answer 6

CRILD:
C – Malcolm says that, as king, he will do whatever God calls him to do. He is the rightful king and a morally good man.
R = audience is reassured that the natural order has been restored