King Duncan quotes Flashcards
Duncan’s praise for Macbeth
“O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!”
Context: King Duncan speaks these words when he hears of Macbeth’s bravery and success in battle against the rebels. Duncan is expressing his admiration and gratitude to Macbeth for his loyalty and valor.
Duncan’s trust and hospitality
“There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face. / He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust.”
Context: Duncan says these lines when he arrives at Macbeth’s castle as a guest. He is praising Macbeth’s apparent nobility and trustworthiness. However, these words also tragically highlight Duncan’s inability to discern Macbeth’s true intentions, as Macbeth plans to murder him.
Duncan’s murder
“What bloody man is that? He can report, / As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt / The newest state.”
Context: These lines are spoken by Duncan as he inquires about a wounded and bloodied sergeant who brings him news of the battle. Duncan’s use of the word “bloody” foreshadows his own fate, as he will soon be murdered in his sleep by Macbeth.
Macbeth’s regret and guilt
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas in incarnadine, / Making the green one red.”
Context: After Duncan’s murder, Macbeth reflects on the enormity of his crime and the guilt he feels. In this quote, Macbeth expresses that not even the vastness of the ocean can wash away the guilt and bloodstains from his hands, symbolizing the weight of Duncan’s murder on his conscience.
