Macbeth Act 1 Scene 2 Study Guide

Not surprisingly, Macbeth has received volumes of critical commentary over the years. Not only is the play an audience favorite, but its complex characterization, deeply woven themes, and characteristic Shakespearean style make it rich ground for scholarly inquiry. Critics such as Harold Bloom have remarked on the importance of Macbeth in the context of Shakespeare 's works. In Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, Bloom writes, ' 'The rough magic in Macbeth is wholly Shakespeare 's; he indulges his own imagination as never before, seeking to find its moral limits (if any). ' ' Bloom also remarks, ' 'Macbeth is an uncanny unity of setting, plot, and characters, fused together beyond comparison with any other play of Shakespeare 's. '

Act 1 Scene 4 King Duncan receives Macbeth and Banquo with appreciation for their achievements towards the success if the battle. King Duncan announces that his eldest son Malcolm would inherit the throne from him and be called King of Scotland after him ‘Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter

One of the smaller, yet important, characters is King Duncan. Duncan is an intelligent, generous, trusting and simply, a good king. Especially his goodness contributed to the doubt of Macbeth to actually kill the king. Complimenting his companions for all their nobleness demonstrates Duncan 's love to the people around him and effects their compassion for him.

of King Duncan's army. His personal powers and strength as a general won him the

Initially, Macbeth is viewed as a brave and loyal soldier, with Duncan praising him by expressing that “More is thy due than more than all can pay” (1.4.21). At this point, he has not been influenced by the three witches. Yet, by Duncan implying his importance, Macbeth gains a sense of self-worth and this arouses power within. His clear desire to be titled Thane of Cawdor while then having a growing temptation to commit regicide clearly demonstrate the early stages of his corruption and forms a basis for utilizing illegitimate power.

It shows how, after having the former Thane killed, the King tells Ross and Angus to tell Macbeth that he was named the Thane of Cawdor.

at this exact point as in the previous scene Macbeth is on his way to

Gigi Beattie Mr. Sherman Honors English 10 Grey 28 January 2016 Duncan- the Naive yet Benevolent King In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Duncan is highly envied among many due to his high status and possession of power as king of Scotland. One is so envious that he is willing to murder for his power. Macbeth, one of Scotland’s valiant soldiers, brutally murders Duncan.

Hear! Hear! All Hail King Malcolm! The great Malcolm rescued Scotland and his people against the thankfully deceased tyrant, King Macbeth. Unlike the virtuous king, the traitorous prince, Donalbain never appeared even after Malcolm saved Scotland from misery. Donalbain cowardly fled to Ireland without any intention of returning to protect Scotland. However, Donalbain was not needed, all thanks to his brave brother, Malcolm.

His infidelity breaks the trust between him and Duncan because of his immense betrayal to not only the King, but to the country of Scotland. He quickly becomes a man whom Duncan could no longer rely upon, for this reason, Duncan awards the title to a noble and courageous soldier, Macbeth. Dramatic irony is presented in this line because as Duncan is addressing the unfaithfulness of the old thane, it is followed by the entry of Macbeth to the scene, a man who later misuses his power to betray the King. To Duncan, Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, is appeared to be virtuous and courageous because of his heroic performance in the battle for defeating the opponent, Macdonwald. The King demonstrates his satisfaction towards Macbeth through a conversation with Banquo. He describes Macbeth as “full so valiant, And in his commendations [King Duncan is] fed; It is a banquet to [him]… It is a peerless kinsman.” (1.4.56-60). In this speech, King Duncan truly admires Macbeth’s valiancy and describes him as a man without equal. He congratulates Macbeth for his courage on the battlefield and as followed by the witches’ prophecies of Macbeth, “...All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor…” (1.3.50), he replaces and becomes the new Thane of Cawdor. This speech reveals the gullible nature of Duncan who once trusted the old thane and anew, believes the new thane will be loyal to the country. By all means, Duncan is clueless of

In the start of Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Macbeth is a loyal subject of the King of Scotland. Scotland is at war with Norway, and some but Macbeth is given the assignment of punishing the traitorous Thain of Cawdor. While Macbeth is traveling to meet the king, he is hailed by three witches who greet him as the Thane of Calamis, as the Thane of Cawdor, and king

Macbeth is a valiant warrior, Thane of Cawdor for his performance in the war, and eventually the King of Scotland for performing a low-key immoral deed. In the eyes of Shakespeare’s audience, Macbeth is noticed for killing enemies in the war. Macbeth portrays himself as strong and fearless man but shows weakness to his wife by denying murdering the King. Macbeth angers Lady Macbeth by backing out of the plan when he says,

     King Duncan trusts Macbeth too much. Macbeth appears as a super hero and faithful to King Duncan. He fights against the traitor Macdonwald, and he helps the king to solve a

At the beginning of the play King Duncan hears of Macbeth, the bloody hero. The battle was horrific, but Macbeth was fearless, fighting his way through the enemy and literally cutting the rebel leader in half. King Duncan is suitably impressed by Macbeth's braveness.

Macbeth develops into a pernicious king as the play advances, as he commits horrendous actions that result in his own wrecking. Nevertheless, he has differentiated himself during the battle against the treacherous Thane of Cawdor, and the King of Norway. He is the brave soldier who leads King 's Duncan force to victory through his strength and skill level. King Duncan addresses Macbeth as his "…valiant cousins (and) / (A) worthy gentleman" (I.ii.25). This shows, how the King recognizes Macbeth 's skill on the battlefield, and therefore rewards Macbeth with a higher title, the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth displays these characteristics once again in Act IV, as he ignores the witches ' prophecies, don 's his armour and fights against a heavily armed army, which is a greater size than his own Scottish infantry. This performance displays that Macbeth still holds the attributes of bravery as he did initially. For the first time, he makes a decision by setting aside the prophecies. In the play, the townsfolk see their malicious