King Duncan

King Duncan

1. Trusts his subjects

   • King Duncan admits that he failed to consider that his close friends could ever betray him - he is a good and trusting king. He says, 'there's no art / to find the mind's construction in the face' (1.4).
   • When King Duncan arrives at Macbeth's castle, he greets Lady Macbeth in a polite way and thanks her for her trouble. This again shows his generous manner towards his subjects.
   • The very fact that King Duncan happily stays at his subject's home shows how much trust he places in those close to him.

2. Father-like

   • Lady Macbeth thought about killing King Duncan herself, but couldn't, because he looked like her father (2.1). This could suggest that Duncan is kind and cares about his people.

3. Possesses good qualities.

   • When Macbeth thinks about the reason why he shouldn't murder King Duncan, he lists the king's qualites: 'this Duncan / Hath borne in his faculties so meek, hath been / So clear in his great office, that his virtues / Will plead like angels' (1.7).
   • Duncan is a great man with excellent moral standards. Macbeth compares Duncan's morals to those of an angel, showing how much he admires him.

4. Reinforces the Divine Right of Kings

   • King James 1 believed in the Divine Right of Kings - in Macbeth, King Duncan is shown to be a ruler selected by God, and only answerable to God - his goodness is proof that God gave him this role. This is the opposite of Macbeth, who gains the crown against the law and has no good qualities as a ruler.
   • King Duncan's descendants continue ruling Scotland, whereas Macbeth loses everything (including his wife) and is killed. This shows how God's choice of king is rewarded (even after death), whereas the man who went against God is condemned and suffers.