Kingship (Malcolm and Macduff) : Act 4

Question 1

macduff acts as a foil to macbeth through…

Answer 1

his overt patriotism, as he mourns over the state of scotland - PATRIOTISM IS AN EXAMPLE OF SELFLESSNESS

Question 2

in act 4 scene 3, macduff personifies scotland in lamenting

Answer 2

• ‘bleed, bleed, poor country’

Question 3

‘bleed, bleed, poor country’

Answer 3

• depicts how emotionally connected to his country he is
• also suggest that scotland is dying under macbeth’s reig, captivating macbeth’s misanthropic nature, a quality which juxtaposes the role of a king

Question 4

‘new widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike’

Answer 4

• shakespeare employs anaphora here to show the overwhelming nature of the tyranny they are now subject to
• creates a claustrophobic impression of suffering
• also presents macduff’s consideration and care for his country, he is selfless in thinking of ‘orphans’ and ‘widows’ rather than just himself

Question 5

malcolm and macduff in this scene

Answer 5

• there is fragmented trust
• depicts the repercussions of macbeth’s tyranny, it seems scotland has become rife with suspicion

Question 6

dialogue between malcolm and macduff

Answer 6

• establishes what it means to be an honourable and rightful king
• highlights disparity between this expectation and macbeth’s reality

Question 7

how does malcolm communicate the ideal king?

Answer 7

• through his admiration for the king of england, edward the confessor
• he pays homage to his god-like ‘healing benediction’, which reinforces the notion of the divine right of kings and narrows the distance between god and the monarchy
• characterises macbeth as sinful

Question 8

topic sentence

Answer 8

this dialogue between malcolm and macduff is used as a tool to establish an ideal of kingship and highlight the disparity between this and the harrowing reality macbeth has created for scotland. this reinforces the notion that he is an illegitimate king, and his reign is detrimental to scotland