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How Does Shakespeare Present Duncan As A King in This Extract?

Duncan is portrayed as a good king who rewards his generals for victory in battle. He thanks Macbeth and Banquo and rewards Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Duncan acknowledges he is indebted to Macbeth and offers the opportunity for further advancement. Duncan also names his son Malcolm as his heir to ensure succession. However, Macbeth sees Duncan as weak and meek, suggesting he may lack understanding of threats. Overall, Shakespeare presents Duncan as having the qualities of a good king but also as potentially naive.

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966 views2 pages

How Does Shakespeare Present Duncan As A King in This Extract?

Duncan is portrayed as a good king who rewards his generals for victory in battle. He thanks Macbeth and Banquo and rewards Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Duncan acknowledges he is indebted to Macbeth and offers the opportunity for further advancement. Duncan also names his son Malcolm as his heir to ensure succession. However, Macbeth sees Duncan as weak and meek, suggesting he may lack understanding of threats. Overall, Shakespeare presents Duncan as having the qualities of a good king but also as potentially naive.

Uploaded by

WitchingDread10
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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How does Shakespeare present Duncan as a king in this extract?

Shakespeare portrays Duncan as a good king – he is powerful, but also generous since he
rewards his generals. He also has an heir to the throne, which was very important in the
Jacobean era. One of the king’s duties was to make sure he had a male heir since men were
seen to be much more powerful than women. This extract occurs after victory is achieved in
battle and Duncan thanks Macbeth and Banquo who have been visited by the witches.

Shakespeare presents Duncan as a grateful king when he thanks his generals for victory.
QUOTE: ‘Signs of nobleness like stars shall shine on all deservers’
This indicates that good things will happen for those that deserve it. The simile which
evokes ideas of heaven reminds us of the Divine Right of Kings and enhances Duncan’s
power and royal status.

It shows that he has strength to protect his people. His other responsibility is to treat each
and every one of his subjects fairly and to reward them when appropriate, which is seen
when Macbeth is given the title of Thane of Cawdor.
QUOTE: ‘I have begun to plant thee and will labour to make thee full of growing’
Duncan acknowledges he is indebted to Macbeth and offers the opportunity of further
advancement. There is plant imagery present which shows the affection Duncan has for
Macbeth. This is seen when he ‘plants’ and ‘labours’ in order to help him. This also looks
forward to a time of peace rather than war.

Finally, another responsibility Duncan has as the king is to name an heir to succeed him.
Duncan appoints Malcom (his son) to be his heir.
QUOTE: ‘Our eldest, Malcom … Prince of Cumberland’
This royal announcement ensures succession to the throne. The timing of Duncan’s
announcement is very important since it comes right after times of war and instability.

It is important for a man to be the heir in order to sustain strength and the stability of the
kingdom. A male heir is a high priority. The premodifier ‘great’ further emphasises all of his
good qualities as well as his determination to fulfil his role as the king. Shakespeare presents
Duncan as a good king since he has many of the qualities of a king and fulfils all of his duties.

Despite all of the comments about Duncan being a good king, Shakespeare also makes
Duncan look like a weak king. Macbeth says that Duncan ‘hath borne his faculties so meek’
and described him ‘like a new-born babe’. The word ‘meek’ suggests that Duncan is weak
and gentle. This is also shown by the simile comparing him to baby. The image of the baby
connotes Duncan’s innocence and lack of understanding about his surroundings. This is also
conveyed in the whole play when Duncan was betrayed by two Thane of Cawdor’s because
of his naivety. ‘so clear in his great office’. The word ‘clear’ illustrates his determination and
certainty to protect his kingdom from invasions. This was connoted back in Act 1 Scene 2
when he led his armies to victory against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor and the
Norwegians.

Shakespeare also explores the theme of kingship in the scene when Malcom tests Macduff
to see whether he is also a traitor, just like Macbeth. In Act 4 Scene 3, Malcom states that
the king ‘leaves the healing benediction’. This quote links to the laying of hands, which is the
religious practice of giving a spiritual blessing. It can also refer to the Divine Right of Kings,
where the king is chosen by God and regicide is an act against God. When Malcom refers to
this quote, he talks about king Edward and presents him as another holy and good king. In
this scene, Malcom also talks about kingly qualities such as ‘justice, verity, temperance …
courage, fortitude-’. Malcom pauses near the end since ‘fortitude’ is the one and only
quality Macbeth possesses. It suggests that Malcom doesn’t believe that Macbeth is a good
and true king. This is further illustrated when Malcom says, ‘This tyrant, whose sole name
blisters our tongues’ and ‘Bleed, bleed, poor country’. The hyperbole ‘blisters’ highlights
what an authoritarian ruler Macbeth is. The repetition of ‘bleed’ also reveals the awful state
of the country. The word bleed reflects all of the gruesome murders that have occurred thus
far. By doing this, Shakespeare has created a vivid picture of tyranny for the audience.

To conclude, Duncan has many of the qualities of a good king, but is still weak according to
Macbeth due to his naivety. In other parts of the text, King Edward is also presented as a
holy king and Macbeth the opposite.

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