Macbeth and King

In the monarchical society in Macbeth, the king is a direct representative of god and became king by divine right. There is a strong theme or order in Macbeth and if an offence against the king has been committed then it as seen as an offence against god. The king was the representative of moral and social welfare of his subjects. There are four main examples of Kingship in Macbeth.
Firstly there is Duncan, who became king by divine right and is full of the king becoming graces which were cited by his son, Malcolm in Act 4 ‘as justice, verity, temperance, stableness, bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness’. Duncan rules with celestial force and approval. While all his subjects may not love him and relinquish to his rule there is no disputing his goodness. Even in the beginning of the play we can see some over trusting issues surrounding Duncan as Cawdor and Macdonald deceive him. This could be seen as weak but it only adds to the nobility of the fair, just king. In a very biblical method he punishes the wicked and rewards the good. He awards Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor and reassures Banquo of upcoming greatness when he says ‘I have begun to plant you’. Not even the self-made king can dispel Duncan’s decency “The Lord's anointed temple.”
While we are confronted with good kings at each corner, Macbeth is a prime example of the potential evil poses to the throne. Macbeth is a character that had essentially began as a good man, ‘noble Macbeth’ but the lust for power drove him to the evil side of kingship. Unlike Duncan Macbeth has taken the throne forcibly. It is not divine right that has named him king but the stench and aura of the witches’ black magic. Macbeths reign exemplifies the potential for evil in this play. Macbeth who as king is supposed to protect his people in turn kills them if they oppose him. His insecurities and hyper vigilant state result in the murder of many innocents, such as Banquo, Macduff’s wife and child and is the reason why ‘new widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike heaven on the face.’ As Duncan trusted too readily and was found to be honourable for it even when betrayed, Macbeth trusts no one, is ruled by paranoia and is branded a ‘tyrant’. Macbeth by his sanctimonious actions against God and Duncan has upset the order of nature. Not only has he cut himself off from heaven and sleeping ‘I could not say Amen,’ his actions have ripple consequences. The evilness of his kingship that he stole lawlessly spreads into nature. Anarchy ensures from the “falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place,/Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed” to Duncan’s horses which’ tis said they eat each other’. These events, which mark the potential of the evil of kingship, spawns aimlessly out from the evilness of Macbeth and his stolen sceptre.
King Edward may not be seen in the play but his divine presence is felt. King Edward of England had a “healing benediction” and was a good king. He was the definition of the potential goodness Kingship offered as he would not only be a good ruler but be able to heal a moral wound. He is the first line of defence against Macbeth and wants to dispel the tyrant from the ‘suffering country’. Unlike Macbeth who was abhorred and when battle dawned no one fought for him “but constrained things whose hearts are absent, too”, people flock to Edward. Malcolm stays with him in England and Thanes join with his righteous forces when they hear of his attack. The people of Scotland do not associate him with ‘disease’ and tyranny like they do their own morally ambiguous king but with ‘healing’ and address him only in ecclesial language. King Edward is the epitome of a good, heaven driven king that presents the decency sovereignty can provide both ruler and the people with.
Malcolm is the king that could be. We finish the play with Malcolm winning back his rightful throne and defeating the evil Macbeth with the joint forces of England and Scotland behind him. If we are to approach his undocumented kingship by the traits shown in the play Macbeth we can assume he is a good king. While his inheritance of the seat is delayed, Malcolm is in fact the new God’s representative, the honour passed down from Duncan, his father. His restoration to the throne signals Scotland’s return to order following Macbeth’s reign of terror, no longer will the travelling lamp by cloaked and swallowed by darkness. It is Malcolm’s initiative that sees the end of Macbeth as it is he who seeks out ‘pious’ King Edward. We see in the last scene the king-having graces emerging from Malcolm and the traits that made his father great shine out in Malcolm ‘planted newly’,’ I have begun to plant thee” . Having spent so much time at his father’s side Malcolm will be an apt king, trustful yet wary but undoubtedly show good for his reign as did his father.
The theme of kingship and its potential for good or evil is a theme than runs throughout the play ‘Macbeth’. While we are presented with the idealistic, pious kings such as Duncan and Edward we also see the brutal other side of kingship as Macbeth begins and ends his bloody reign of terror on the throne.