Leadership/Kingship/tyranny Flashcards
(4 cards)
context
With the unexpected ascension of James I to the throne, the question of what makes a
good king was a popular topic in England. The country was very much divided about how it
should be run. There was the ongoing religious conflict between Protestants and
Catholics. Some were pleased for James to be king but others were not. In Macbeth,
Shakespeare compares different characters and their approaches to their reigns. Some are
successful and others aren’t, which could be Shakespeare’s way of demonstrating which
qualities he felt were the most important in a good monarch.
Duncan
Duncan possesses all the qualities of a great king: he is noble, nurturing, responsible, and a strong leader. His successful reign emphasises how disastrous Macbeth is as a king.
“Signs of nobleness like stars shall
shine / On all deservers,” (1.4), meaning he is willing to reward all those who do good. It
can be interpreted that he is saying that virtue and nobility are visible traits in a person,
distinguishing them from others. The simile “like stars shall shine” connotes divine
power, implying they will be rewarded in the afterlife as well as now. It aligns “deservers”
with God.
Duncan is portrayed as someone who is invested in his followers, as he says, “I have
begun to plant thee and will labour / To make thee full of growing,” to which Banquo
replies, “There if I grow, / The harvest is your own,” (1.4). He is dedicated to self-improvement and the success of others. The semantic field of agriculture connotes new life and nourishment, presenting Duncan as nurturing and considerate.
It seems that Duncan is too trusting and dependent on others to be a perfect king. Rather
than leading his men into battle he trusts others to do so for him, and he relies heavily on his
Thanes to help maintain order.
When he reflects on the previous Thane of Cawdor’s death, he says, “There’s no art / To
find the mind’s construction in the face. / He was a gentleman on whom I built / An
absolute trust,” (1.4). He had placed his confidence in a man who betrayed him to foreign
armies, suggesting he has a poor judge of character. There is some dramatic irony in this
statement, for Macbeth is plotting to murder him.
Macbeth
Macbeth
At the start of the play Macbeth has the ideal qualities of a noble king. The Captain calls him
“brave Macbeth”, “Bellona’s bridegroom”, and “Valour’s minion” (1.2), proving how
admired and impressive Macbeth is. “Brave” and “valour” both imply that he has a
strength of character beyond being good in battle which would be ideal as a leader. This
makes it ironic that he later commits the cowardly act of murdering Duncan in his sleep.
Ascension to the throne
But these noble traits seem to disappear.
As Macbeth becomes closer to the throne he
becomes more corrupt. By the
time he kills Duncan and takes
the throne his transformation is
so complete it is too late for him
to go back to being the noble
Macbeth we were introduced to
at the start of the play.
From this point on, the audience
are able to see the direct
contrast between the way
Duncan and Macbeth rule
Britain.
The audience is not given much insight into other peoples’ opinions of Macbeth’s leadership.
However, as the soldiers prepare for battle, we hear reports of how “those he commands,
move only in command, / Nothing in love” (5.2), and “none serve him but constrained
things / Whose hearts are absent too” (5.4). This shows how unsuccessful he has been at
maintaining order and trust in his people. His country has no “love” or “heart” which is
representative of his own callous nature.
Macbeth acknowledges his ability to control others using violent means by saying that “I
could with my barefaced power sweep him from my sight, / And bid my will avouch it,
yet I must not,” (3.1) when pondering what to do about Banquo. “Barefaced” implies he
could be shameless and outright in his murderous ways, while “sweep him from my
sight” connotes a godlike control over reality.
No heir
Macbeth’s poor kingship is solidified by his lack of lineage and heirs. It is evident he feels
emasculated by his inability to produce an heir, this is represented through his jealousy of
Banquo and resentment of the Witches.
Remembering the Witches’ prophecy for
Banquo, he complains, “They hailed
him father to a line of kings
The Death of a King
The reaction to Duncan’s death compared to Macbeth’s death is reflective of how both
kings ruled, and how they were viewed by their country. The impact each death has on the
environment expresses Shakespeare’s views on kingship and tyranny. He believed a good
monarch was needed to provide stability, security, and progress.
Duncan
Duncan’s death seems to bring about a sort of apocalyptic chaos, showing how atrocious
and distressing his murder is. The way the atmosphere is described even before Duncan’s
death has been discovered implies that even the nature is affected by his murder. Lennox
reports, “The night has been unruly […] Lamentings heard i’th’air, strange screams of
death / And prophesying with accents terrible / Of dire combustion and confused events, / New hatched to th’woeful time. The obscure bird / Clamoured the livelong
night. Some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake,” (2.3).
➔ Lexis from the semantic field of chaos and destruction, such as “dire
combustion”, “clamoured”, and “shake”, reflects how Duncan’s murder has gone against nature.
Duncan’s death has had a
permanent effect on the weather
and the daylight.
➔ The “dark night”
symbolises the
wickedness that now
dominates the world.
