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Description of King Duncan
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Say “Macbeth” and the first thing that comes to mind is probably the play by the famous playwright, William Shakespeare. This classic story has become a mainstay of high school English literature classes around the world. However, few people realize that there was a real king Macbeth who lived long before the Shakespearean character evolved. In fact, the only verity of historical truth in the play is King Duncan’s death at the hand of Macbeth. The “real” Macbeth was not exactly as weak and unsuccessful as Shakespeare portrayed him. The “real” Macbeth had reasons for murdering
Duncan, had a successful sovereignty, and had a very different defeat.
The real Macbeth was born a grandson of King Kenneth II who ruled from
971-995. His father was Finlay McRory who was a Mormaer (lord) of Moray. His mother’s name was Donada but it is unknown whether she was the daughter of King
Kenneth II, Kenneth III, or Malcolm II. He married Grauch (“Lady Macbeth”), a descendant of King Kenneth III, who ruled from 997-1005. Lady Macbeth already had a son, Lulach, by a first marriage to another Mormaer of Moray.
Becoming king in eleventh century Scotland was not strictly hereditary. There was a practice called thanistry. This meant that nobleman chose kings from a large selection of possible kings called thanes. In theory, thanistry should have worked. But in practice, what often happened was that the strongest and most cunning of the thanists would rise to power. As a result, the best person did not necessarily become king because thanistry encourage open conflict as well as the assassination or reigning kings and other thanes (Scotland 4). But, the “real” Macbeth’s murder of King
Duncan I in 1040 in a battle, was seen more as a good move than as a catastrophe.
Duncan’s rule in Scotland was not the golden age as described in Shakespeare’s
Macbeth. In truth, Duncan was described by Arthur M. Gunn as an “impetuous and spoiled young man whose six years of kingship brought glory neither to Scotland nor his family.” (Famous Scots 2) This differed from the public fury that was scene in
Shakespeare’s Macbeth when innocent King Duncan was murdered in his sleep.
Unlike, the Shakespeare Macbeth, the real Macbeth was a powerful and successful king who ruled for seventeen years. He had enough power to leave on an expedition to Rome in 1050 and then return to reign seven more years. That was a remarkable achievement in those times. Contrasting, Shakespeare’s Macbeth had a very unsuccessful monarchy. He is so caught up in his guilt that he doesn’t have time
quest for the throne has both positive and negative results. One of the negative results is
Louis XIV was an absolute monarch in France from 1643 to 1715. His father died when he was just four years old, making Louis XIV the throne’s successor at a very young age. Because of this, he ruled for seventy-two years, which made him “the longest monarch to rule a major country in European history” (Eggert). But it was when he was twenty-three years old when he decided to rule without a prime minister, believing it was his divine right. Translated by Louis de Rouvroy, Duc de Saint-Simon, the author of the book The Memoirs of Louis XIV:
Macbeth, one of the darkest and most powerful plays written by Shakespeare, dramatizes the disastrous psychological effects that occur when evil is chosen to fulfill the ambition for power. Throughout the play, Macbeth’s character loses mental stability and becomes enthralled with the idea of being king. Empowered by the three witches, this situation consumes Macbeth’s consciousness until his mental state becomes deranged. This mental deterioration is evident in what he says and does as he evolves into a tyrannical ruler attempting to protect himself from enmity and suspicion. In an attempt to fulfill his ambition for power, Macbeth displays mental deterioration and becomes increasingly bloodthirsty.
the monarchy of his efforts and achievements and it was he who took all of the
and who shares –– for the most part –– with the people of his court, rewarding all of the other
In order to keep our two characters separate, the Shakespearian character will be referred to as Macbeth and the actual historical character as MacBeth or King MacBeth, depending on the time. The following areas will be examined to find the “real” MacBeth: heritage and title, personality, deeds and death. The heritage will determine the legitimacy as heir to the throne and title to reflect rank and class; their personality, deeds and death to illustrate their worthiness of being king. In 1005 MacBeth MacFindlaech was born to Findlaech MacRuaridh and Doada, daughter of Malcolm I, making him in line to be King. It was around this same time that his grandfather (Malcolm II) became king. As was required for the children of important chieftains, M...
As one can well imagine, letting another act in one’s stead had a detrimental effect on the king’s power....
The songs that I will be dedicating in this play are for the character Macbeth. He is the most unique entity who is constantly changing his personality and developing more evil traits. These songs will represent all of the Macbeth’s major characteristics and the events that led to demonstrating and revealing what kind of person he is. Every crime he committed had a big consequence on his conscience. The lyrics or the mood of the song will, in some way, describe Macbeth and his behavior in this play.
Through the chronicles of history there have always been heroes. Men and women that stand up and take charge and are moral leaders of countries. Joan of Arc, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Churchill are only a few examples of people that are remember eternally for what they have done. There are also other leaders that people would like to forget because they are moral cowards killing their subject and causing evil. Stalin, Fidel Castro, and the Character of Macbeth are all examples of this. Macbeth is a moral coward. During the play Macbeth often shows that he is morale coward. For instance, when he is planning Duncan’s murder. Likewise he also shows cowardice by killing Banquo. Lastly he shows how spineless he is when he orders Macduffs family to be murdered.
Of all the absolute rulers in Europe, by far the best example of one, and the most powerful, was Louis XIV of France. Although Louis had some failures, he also had many successes. He controlled France’s money and had many different ways to get, as well as keep his power, and he knew how to delegate jobs to smart, but loyal people.
young she would be able to rule the country through him. Edward II sent his son and
William Shakespeare’s tragedy play Macbeth bears little resemblance to the actual history of Scotland. Through his writing he praised King James I’s ancestor, Banquo, as an innocent victim who was betrayed by his good friend, Macbeth. However, in reality, he helps Macbeth kill Duncan. Shakespeare even changed history by creating Macbeth as a dark and evil human and also including scenes of witchcraft.
Shakespeare draws an amazing psychological portrait of a man who became a villain by means of ambition, desire and an imbalance of good and evil. “Macbeth” is a play composed of the disintegration of a noble man’s world. The play begins by offering the audience Macbeth, a war hero, with a high regard from Duncan, the king of Scotland. By the end of the play Macbeth transforms into a universally despised man without a place in the social community. Shakespeare draws an amazing face of a man made to be a villain by ambition, desire and an imbalance of good and evil.
Macbeth is a well known, famous story by William Shakespeare which is about the tragedy of ambition and how it destroys Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Both are forever damned to a state of fearful awareness, and insomnia as a result of murdering King Duncan. This sets off an unstoppable chain of events which ends in Macbeth himself being killed and Lady Macbeth committing suicide. In the play the lack of sleep becomes fatal, as a result of the murder they committed, and the awareness is terrifying because of the continuous agony of recurring nightmares of their deeds.