Malcolm

Question 1

“Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there Weep our sad bosoms empty” 4.3

Answer 1

• Instead of seeking darkness to become evil, Malcolm seeks darkness in order to mourn for the country which shows his deep loyalty to serve the kingdom as in contrast to Macbeth who only seeks for power for himself and instead of caring for the well-being of Scotland, becomes infatuated with paranoia and retaining his Kingship. Malcolm’s affection towards Scotland is shown through the verb “weep” and the adjective “sad” both connoting unhappiness and suggests he feels great pain for his country.
• This establishes Malcolm as a good and noble king which would align with the belief of the divine right of kings as since he is the rightful heir to the throne, his whole persona would embody a righteous King.

Question 2

“The tyrant whose sole name blisters our tounges”

Answer 2

• This hyperbole suggests that Macbeth is so unholy that even mentioning his name is seen as a sacrilege which not only emphasizes Macbeth’s evil nature but also the hatred that Malcolm has towards Macbeth

Question 3

“a weak poor, innocent lamb t’appease an angry god”

Answer 3

• Accusing Macduff of spying on him : contrasts to Duncan whose hamartia was being naïve – Malcolm is much more cautious
• This biblical metaphor intensifies the unnatural power that Macbeth has. Seeing that God is viewed as a merciless and omnibenevolent being (especially in the Jacobean era) ,the image of an “angry god” could also be seen as another allusion to the disruption in the natural order and could perhaps be linking Macbeth to the opposite of God - the devil.
• The imagery of Malcolm as a “weak poor, innocent lamb” portrays him as righteous and holy which further presents him as the better king .

Question 4

It weeps, it bleeds; and each new day a gash is added to her wounds 4.3

Answer 4

• The use of the parallelism “it weeps, it bleeds” draws a connection between the two suggesting that the suffering the Scotland is experiencing is never-ending; it will not be solved until order is restored
• The personification of Scotland as a woman presents the nation as defenseless, as woman were seen to be weak and incapable to defend themselves during the Jacobean era. The fact that Scotland is depicted as a woman being abused adds the sense of vulnerability as well as the tribulation it is going through as a result of Macbeth’s act of regicide
• Malcolm expressing his deep concerns about the nation presents him as noble and puts him in a positive light – the audience will see him as the true king

Question 5

Let’s make us medicines of our great revenge, to cure this deadly grief. 4.3

Answer 5

• Malcolm immediately seeks to take advantage of the situation, in essence by weaponizing Macduff’s grief and rage and turning it against Macbeth which paints him as a opportunist.
• The fact that he doesn’t wait for Macduff to mourn could either show his patriotic nature, as he is eager to save Scotland, or could exemplify his thirst for power.
• Shows how Malcolm wants to save (“cure”) Scotland from Macbeth who is metaphorically described as “deadly grief” heightening the hatred he has for Macbeth

Question 6

“Dispute it like a man” 4.3

Answer 6

• The constant manipulation by Malcolm presents him as heartless
• The demand for masculinity draws parallel to Lady Macbeth’s manipulative techniques in Act 1 which demonstrates how twisted people become when power is in play

Question 7

“This dead butcher and his fiend like queen” 5.9

Answer 7

• The characterization and objectification of Macbeth (and his wife) make Malcolm seem superior or better and more worthy than him. It reinforces the idea that Malcolm is the opposite of Macbeth, the ‘tyrant’.
• The emotive noun “buthcer” ,which vilifies Macbeth, and the sematic field of hell employed to describe Lady Macbeth highlights the wickedness and brutality that these two characters displayed .

Question 8

“by the grace of God” 5.9

Answer 8

• the language of heaven employed contrasts with the hellish adjectives that have been used to describe Macbeth and Macbeth reliance on the supernatural which further cements the idea that Malcom is holy and righteous and therefore will make an excellent king in the eyes of the Jacobean audience as they were highly religious.