Kingship

Question 1

Macbeth laments that his kingship is hollow—he has power but no legacy, fueling his paranoia and further tyranny.

Answer 1

Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown / And put a barren sceptre in my gripe

Question 2

Macduff mourns Scotland under Macbeth’s tyrannical rule, emphasizing the consequences of bad kingship

Answer 2

Bleed, bleed, poor country! / Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis sure.

Question 3

Malcolm calls Macbeth a tyrant, reinforcing how far Macbeth has strayed from the ideal king.

Answer 3

This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues

Question 4

Repeated for emphasis: Macbeth recognizes that Duncan’s moral kingship makes his murder more heinous.

Answer 4

So clear in his great office, that his virtues / Will plead like angels