King Duncan Research Paper

At first Macbeth thinks killing King Duncan is a dreadful thing to do:”We will proceed no further in this business./He hath honored me of late, and I have bought/Golden opinions from all sorts of people,/Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,/Not cast aside so soon”(1.7.31-35). This states that

Because Macbeth lusts for more and more power, he makes bad decisions and actions which shows that lust for power leads to corruption. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan in order to become king and accumulate more power, which connects with the thematic idea of corrupting influence of power. When MacDuff is talking to Lennox after he finds out that King Duncan was murdered he says “O horror, horror, horror!/ Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!”. In the quote Macduff yells “O horror, horror, horror!”(add more context which leads into analysis, and why does macduff feel that way)

One major shortcoming of King Duncan is that he trusts people very quickly. This is evident in 1.4 of Macbeth because Duncan says, "He was a gentleman on whom I build an absolute trust." This shows that Duncan fully trusted Cawdor and Cawdor used his trust, which is why he is getting executed.

A murder of a King who highly praised him and rewarded Macbeth for his loyalty? It seems very unlikely bordering on fiction. Macbeth is a man of great character. Described by the King himself as noble. Also called ‘O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman’, King Duncan did not just speak these words for the sake of it but to show how he honoured him.

We certainly know that the direct responsible for Duncan’s death is Macbeth. However this does not necessarily mean he is to blame, for his violent death is obviously the consequence of certain influences that forced Macbeth to perform his fatal deed. Furthermore, to unearth the truth about who is really the guilty for Duncan’s murder we must explore the influences the different characters have on Macbeth’s impulses and the overall scenario of the slaying.

King Duncan was an honest king favored by many. His generosity is shown when he titles Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. King Duncan proclaims, “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth” (Shakespeare 8). King Duncan is munificent, but gave Macbeth this title because he cares for the people of Cawdor. He is a fair KingKing since he did this for the better of the people. Morality is proven in the play after King Duncan is rewarded for his great actions. After King Duncan’s death Macbeth states, “So clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taKing-off” (Shakespeare 20). King Duncan was virtuous and was rewarded by being honored and well respected by everyone including his murderer. He was very

Macbethsmiserable reign starts with immediate guilt. Macbeth kills the current King of Scotland, King Duncan. Macbeth feels guilt as soon as he commits the murder and is terrified that he will be caught and punished for his crime. “ How is’t with me when every noise appalls

3. 157-159) Macbeth’s arrogance is made apparent with the immediacy of his thoughts of becoming king and it is clear that the supernatural has given him arrogant ambition as Macbeth is already beginning to think of how he will be crowned king. Macbeth eventually decides he will show his “Black and deep desires” (1. 4. 58) and murder Duncan, the current king of Scotland. This is a shift from Macbeth showing loyalty to Scotland and the king as he now has arrogantly, for the benefit of himself becoming king, murdered Duncan, the king of Scotland. Duncan was greatly admired and respected by the population of Scotland. Macbeth himself describes Duncan as “meek” (1. 7. 17) and being “so clear in his great office” (1. 7. 18). When Macduff first realizes the death of Duncan, he describes the scene as: “O horror, horror, horror!” (2. 3. 73) Macbeth acknowledges that the reaction to Duncan’s death would be mournful before murdering him: “Pity… / Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, / That tears shall drown the wind” (1.7. 21-25). However, Macbeth’s only goal is to become king, not to please the population of Scotland who admires their king greatly and sees him as a righteous person. After tempting Macbeth with the idea of becoming king, the supernatural gives Macbeth arrogant ambition, forcing him to contrast his loyal and courageous personality, which motivates him to kill Duncan.

In killing Duncan, Macbeth goes against the great chain of being. He attacks God through killing Duncan; he undermines God’s authority on earth, which will lead to God being very angry, and eternal damnation for Macbeth. By losing the rightful King, Scotland can only become a worse place, and this is what happens – “Poor country; It cannot be call’d our mother, but out grave” (Act four, scene three, line 164). Duncan was a great King, and for a king of his power and greatness to be sacrificed to the ambition of someone like Macbeth shows the magnitude of the murder.

In the play 'Macbeth', Duncan was the King of Scotland and was the first victim in Macbeth’s murder rage. In the beginning of the play, Duncan showed his appreciation of Macbeth and his honorable actions in the battle. He talked about the trust that he had in him and how he was an example of an honorable warrior. In the play, King Duncan was regarded as a very respectable man, but the real King Duncan was a nasty, selfish, and rude warlord. Even so Shakespeare decided to make him a respectable king with a good legacy since Macbeth was planning to kill him.

Duncan, the King of Scotland, is dead! While staying at the castle of Macbeth, Thane of Cawdor, the King was stabbed to death in his bed. The body was discovered by Lord Macduff, who had visited his bedside

Duncan is the most unlikely character to be killed because of his personality, but because he is the King of Scotland, Macbeth loathes him. In the play there is very interaction between Macbeth and Duncan, showing the little time in which Macbeth gets more power. Prior to the witches’ prophecies Macbeth is loyal to Duncan, and would never imagine killing him. After the one of the witches’ prophecies comes to be true, the thought of killing Duncan, Macbeth "yield[s] to that suggestion / whose horrid

The innocence of King Duncan is terminated when Macbeth murders him. Macbeth was a very kind man but his ambition got him to do bad things; it went too far, he went through so much just to kill king Duncan

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Duncan is the Scottish king; he is killed by murderers hired by Macbeth. Even though he is only alive for a small portion of the play, he still is very important. Duncan is a necessary part of the play because he represents God, he is a different kind of king, and he makes other characters feel guilty. Duncan is God on earth because of his influenced ruling by divine right. He hates war and will go out of his way to avoid it.

Duncan is the most unlikely character to be killed because of his personality, but his title as King of Scotland, causes for Macbeth to loathe Duncan. In the play there is very little interaction between Macbeth and Duncan, showing the little time in which Macbeth gets more power. Prior to the witches’ prophecies Macbeth is loyal to Duncan, and would never imagine killing him. After the one of the witches’ prophecies comes to be true, the thought of killing Duncan, Macbeth "yield[s] to that suggestion / whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / and make my seated heart knock at my ribs" (1.3.146-148). Partly because of Lady Macbeth’s suggestion his "vaulting ambition" is starting to take over, and he begins to take into consideration killing