Macduff Character Analysis

In Macbeth, Macduff is a courageous character who is obviously loyal to King Duncan and the country of Scotland. He makes his first appearance at Macbeth’s castle, where he finds the virtuous Duncan has been murdered. After Macbeth takes the throne, Macduff realizes him to be an unfit king and leaves Scotland to seek help. He believes that removing Macbeth from the throne could heal the broken country. This action can be viewed as both noble and foolish of Macduff. However, it was this action that leads to Macbeth’s downfall at the end of this play. When Macduff realizes that the once noble and valiant Macbeth has transformed into a murderous tyrant, he flees to England. Once there, he hopes to find Malcom and return him to his rightful place as king. This is very noble of Macduff because he is trying to
Macduff creates the plan to overthrow Macbeth and, with help from Malcom, leads the English army that invades Scotland. When they finally reach the country, it is Macduff who comes face to face with Macbeth after young Siward is killed. Macbeth felt confident that he would win the battle because the apparitions called by the witches prophesized that he could not be killed by anyone born from a woman. However, in Act 5, Scene 8, Macduff says, “Despair thy charm, / And let the angel whom thou still hast served / Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped.” This statement reveals that Macduff was not, in fact, born from a woman, but cut out of his mother’s womb. Finally, Macduff kills Macbeth, putting an end to his tyranny. In conclusion, Macduff’s action of fleeing to England was both noble and foolish. While he should have made certain his castle and family were protected, he did manage to bring Duncan’s bloodline back into royal power. Macduff reestablished peace and safety into Scotland, but sacrificed his own happiness in the