How Is Kingship Presented in Macbeth?

Kingship in Macbeth: Duncan’s generosity and trust

Duncan establishes an ideal of kingship based on generosity, gratitude and service. He rewards Macbeth’s military loyalty with the title of Thane of Cawdor, showing that a king should recognise those who defend the country.

His language presents royal authority as nurturing rather than destructive:

'I have begun to plant thee, and will labour / To make thee full of growing.' (Act 1, Scene 4)

The planting metaphor suggests that a good king helps his subjects flourish. Duncan’s power should produce growth, not merely obedience. Before murdering him, Macbeth himself admits that Duncan has been 'So clear in his great office' (Act 1, Scene 7). Even his intended killer recognises his integrity.

However, Duncan is not presented as politically infallible. His admission that 'There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face' (Act 1, Scene 4) exposes his difficulty in recognising treachery. He trusts Macbeth after being betrayed by the previous Cawdor. Shakespeare therefore presents a morally admirable king whose trusting judgement leaves him vulnerable.

Regicide as an attack on sacred and natural order

Duncan’s murder is more than a private crime: it violates the relationships that hold Scotland together. Macbeth acknowledges that he is Duncan’s 'kinsman and his subject' as well as his 'host' (Act 1, Scene 7). Killing him breaks obligations of family, political loyalty and hospitality simultaneously.

When Macduff discovers the body, he describes it through religious imagery:

'Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope / The Lord’s anointed temple' (Act 2, Scene 3)

The metaphor makes Duncan’s body a sacred building. Regicide, the killing of a monarch, becomes an offence against divine authority as well as human law. This language connects with the divine right of kings: the belief that royal authority comes from God, strongly associated with Shakespeare’s king, James I.

Nature also registers the disturbance. Ross observes that 'dark night strangles the travelling lamp' (Act 2, Scene 4). Darkness overpowering daylight mirrors Macbeth’s overthrow of Duncan. Shakespeare makes political disorder seem part of a wider moral crisis, rather than treating the crown as a prize anyone may seize.

Macbeth’s tyranny: power without moral authority

Macbeth gains the title of king but cannot acquire the security or loyalty that should accompany it. His admission that 'To be thus is nothing, / But to be safely thus' (Act 3, Scene 1) reveals that possession of the crown immediately produces fear. He treats other people as threats rather than subjects to protect.

His decision to murder Banquo, followed by the slaughter of Macduff’s household, shows tyranny developing from this insecurity. Violence meant to secure his position instead increases opposition and national suffering. In Act 4, Scene 3, Macduff describes Scotland through repeated cries: 'New widows howl, new orphans cry'. Shakespeare redirects attention from the ruler’s ambition to its human cost.

By Act 5, Macbeth’s kingship has become an empty appearance:

'Those he commands move only in command, / Nothing in love' (Act 5, Scene 2)

The contrast between command and love exposes the difference between coercion and loyalty. Macbeth can issue orders, but he cannot inspire willing allegiance. His authority depends on force because it lacks moral legitimacy.

Malcolm and Edward: justice, restraint and healing

Malcolm makes the play’s standards of good government explicit when he lists the 'king-becoming graces' (Act 4, Scene 3). These include 'Justice, verity, temperance, stableness'. Kingship requires truthfulness and self-control, qualities that directly oppose Macbeth’s deception and uncontrolled ambition.

Malcolm initially pretends to possess terrible vices to test Macduff’s loyalty. Macduff refuses to support a ruler who would harm Scotland, even if that ruler is Duncan’s son. The exchange suggests that hereditary legitimacy matters, but does not replace moral fitness. A king must deserve the responsibility he inherits.

In the same scene, the English king Edward provides a contrasting image of royal power. His healing of the sick is reported rather than shown, but its significance is clear: good kingship restores bodies, while Macbeth’s rule wounds Scotland.

These contrasts also complicate Duncan’s example. Malcolm does not simply trust appearances. By testing Macduff before committing himself, he demonstrates political caution alongside the virtues needed to govern. Shakespeare presents the future king as potentially combining moral goodness with practical judgement.

Succession, restoration and a strong essay argument

Succession makes Macbeth’s victory feel unstable from the beginning. The witches predict kingship for Banquo’s descendants, leading Macbeth to describe his own crown as a 'fruitless crown' (Act 3, Scene 1). The adjective suggests authority without lasting growth or a secure dynastic future, reversing Duncan’s earlier language of planting and flourishing.

At the end, Malcolm promises to govern 'in measure, time and place' (Act 5, Scene 8). The balanced phrase contrasts with Macbeth’s impulsive violence and suggests the restoration of proportion and order. However, this is a promise of better government: the audience does not see Malcolm’s reign unfold.

For an essay, build an argument around the difference between holding power and deserving it. Trace a progression rather than listing three rulers:

• Duncan establishes generosity and sacred responsibility.
• Macbeth’s seizure of power exposes the consequences of violating those duties.
• Malcolm articulates the virtues needed for recovery.

Analyse Shakespeare’s methods throughout: growth imagery, religious language, accounts of national suffering and contrasting characterisation. This keeps the discussion focused on how kingship is presented, rather than simply retelling the plot.