Kingship essay plan

Question 1

Thesis

Answer 1

• Shakespeare utilises Macbeth as a dramatic vehicle —> promote the notion to Jacobean society that going against King = natural order breaking down + one’s inevitable tragic demise/fall from grace (no matter their former status in society)
• Uses Malcolm as the embodiment that loyalty always triumphs in the end (divine right of kings restored no matter what)
• Banquo’s rejection of the supernatural seeping into his thoughts to gain royal status for his sons emphasises Macbeth’s moral weakness (easily influenced, doesn’t even try to fight back). Highlights how he easily could have brushed these thoughts off, however he possibly could have had these tendencies before and the prophecies just gave him an excuse to do it (catalyst)

Question 2

Paragraph 1

Answer 2

“Nobleness, like stars, will shine on those deserving” / (aside) “Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires”

• Shakespeare constructs a dichotomy between the two characters (M is the antithesis of Duncan)
• Emphasises how M is aware that his “desires” are sinful (divine imagery contrasts with the dark imagery. He attempts to hide it from heaven/God but futile because God is omniscient, so maybe this foreshadows his inevitable tragic demise)
• Stars = innocence + bright , however Macbeth’s desires are “dark” and without any light, perhaps connoting that he lacks this innocence that he once had.
• Duncan foreshadows how Malcolm will be the rightful king —> “shine on those deserving”, according to the divine right of kings, the stars will “shine on” him (God will crown him).
• Belittles Macbeth’s efforts to commit regicide and usurp Duncan (Shakespeare perhaps mocks those who attempt to gain the throne through dishonest means)
• Dental plosive alliteration “d” = perhaps foreshadows the aggression and violence Macbeth will become overwhelmed with in order to usurp the throne OR perhaps internalised anger at himself for not remaining loyal to his ‘valiant cousin’ — the allure of becoming king is too strong, he cannot control it (Shakespeare presents it as an all-consuming force after being promised it by the witches, warns Jacobean society not to interact with the supernatural)
• The dental plosive alliteration in Macbeth’s speech contrasts with the sibilance in Duncan’s speech —> predatory relationship dynamic between Duncan and Macbeth.
• Duncan is portrayed as an innocent character through the soft sibilance, therefore he is a literary foil to Macbeth who is metaphorically ‘preying’ on Duncan in order to exploit Duncan’s trust in him for the throne
• Stage direction “(aside)” = Macbeth is aware of his wrongdoings however he allows the allure of becoming a monarch (although it is through dishonest means) to almost supernaturally possess him

Question 3

Paragraph 2

Answer 3

“King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear thou played’st most foully for’t” / “Hush, no more!” / “As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine”

• “Played’st” — connotations of a childish game. Perhaps he believes Macbeth has not been careful with his usurpation of the throne/ he is not taking his power seriously and only sees it as a means to gain more influence and status in society. OR perhaps it mirrors the childish nature of the witches, revealing how their prophecies are slowly seeping into his subconscious
• “Foully” — also mirrors the witches’ language “fair is foul and foul is fair” = witches’ tempting prophecies are trying to corrupt his psyche
  However he immediately stops himself as he realises he is falling into the same trap that Macbeth once did “Hush, no more!” —> preventing himself from experiencing the same hamartia as Macbeth.
• “Speeches shine” = mirrors same language as Duncan “shine on those deserving”. Contrasts with the witches speech that he is mirroring —> represents the dichotomy between his two sides (succumbing to temptation or remaining loyal. Macbeth’s corruption serves as an allegorical tale to him, stopping him from experiencing the same fate. Perhaps Shakespeare has done this to connote to the audience that they should follow in the same footsteps)

Question 4

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Answer 4

“By the grace of Grace, we will perform in measure, time and place”

• Malcolm immediately establishes himself as a more composed leader, thanking God for putting him on the throne —> starkly contrasts
• Macbeth’s tyrannical ruling
  Repetition of “grace” = emphasises his loyalty to God, and his awareness that true kingship is not about seizing power (through Machiavellian tactics), but bestowed upon “those deserving” through the divine right of kings and legitimate primogeniture
• Rhyming could be reminiscent of the witches, however unlike them, Shakespeare utilises it to symbolise stability in the natural order and undo Macbeth‘s unnatural sense to the throne through regicide. Unlike the paradoxical rhyming of the witches Malcolm’s rhyme is harmonious and cohesive, therefore Shakespeare could be using this contrast to illuminate the binary opposition between tyranny and true kingship OR the rhyming could perhaps be symbolic of undoing the spell of the witches since this is during the exposition of the play and symbolises the restoration of the natural order, providing a sense of catharsis to the Jacobean audience therefore Malcolm is not only the rifle to the throne but also a spiritual antidote to the seed of ambition implanted in Macbeth by the dark force of the supernatural leaving the Jacobean audience with the lasting impact that they should not tamper with the supernatural
• Shakespeare employs lexis such as “crown” and “throne” as metonyms for kingship throughout the play. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth call it the crown which is something transient and can easily be removed. It has no real tangible power however, contrastingly Malcolm and his allies refer to it as the throne, something fixed and permanent that you can ascend to.