ipl-logo

Duncan's Betrayal In Macbeth

402 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Betrayal in Macbeth analysis

Macbeth is a play written by Shakespeare in 1606. Macbeth is essentially a story of a warrior who gets consumed by his own greed and ambition. Betrayal is a prevalent theme throughout the play that shifts power between the characters. In the beginning, the Thane of Cawdor betrayed the country and the king. When King Duncan heard the news he removed him from his position, “ No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, And with his former title greet Macbeth” (Shakespeare 1:2:63-66). Even though it is not clear how the thane betrayed Scotland, the king still finds out and plans to have him executed for his treason. Due to his betrayal, King Duncan decides to give the title of Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth for his heroic acts in the war. Macbeth will have the power to rule of all of Cawdor. Despite all the power that Macbeth just gained he becomes greedy for more. Macbeth …show more content…

They were successful with their plans because this led Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to titles of King and Queen of Scotland. The final major betrayal is found at the end of the play. Macduff builds an army to take over Macbeth's kingdom. Malcolm inspires the army to take revenge on Macbeth, “Let’s make us med'cines of our great revenge, To cure this deadly grief” (Shakespeare 4:3:220-221). Malcolm wants to get revenge against king Macbeth because Macbeth killed Malcolm’s father. However, since Macbeth is king of all the land opposing him would be treason. Yet Malcolm continues with his plan and forms an army that goes to attack Macbeth. Macduff ends up killing Macbeth himself. Moreover, Malcolm takes the throne for himself. Power and authority shifts once again. Overall, Macbeth is a story tied with death. Furthermore, death works in conjunction with betrayal throughout the play. Betrayal is a very common theme in Macbeth and almost every time it occurs it also comes with a change in

Show More
Related
739 Words | 3 Pages

Although, the most common occurrence throughout the play is how Shakespeare uses the character of Macbeth to illustrate how betrayal and deception will come back to get you in the future. Macbeth's betrayal to King Duncan ultimately led to the downfall of his evil actions, and finally his death. By Macbeth carrying out the assassination of King Duncan and his guards he betrayed not only his whole life of accomplishments but most of all, Duncans loyalty to Macbeth as a man. Earlier in the play King Duncan

Read More
372 Words | 2 Pages

He fails to see Macbeth's alternate motives. What is particularly ironic is that in the beginning of the play Duncan kills the Thane of Cawdor because he has betrayed him. As we progress through the play, we see history repeat itself where Macbeth murders the king and the king is betrayed a second time; though the king never realizes he is betrayed. This quote expresses a much

Read More
477 Words | 2 Pages

Macbeth is a dark play written by Shakespeare. It is about a kingdom in Scotland in which the people living there turn on each other and don't know who to trust. Macbeth changes from an innocent man to a murderous villain. In the end, his cockiness will get the best of him. Throughout the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses many literary devices to convey the theme, “guilt cannot be washed away.”

Read More
780 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth only becomes Thane of Cawdor, because of a traitor, but he himself later becomes a traitor. In the beginning it was easy for Macbeth to fight for his king and to honor the name of the man who ruled his land, but once he finds out his future, his entire mindset changes. Macbeth fights and wins a battle in favor for Scotland and king Duncan. A few hours after the battle, the Weird Sisters tell Macbeth what his future looks like. He becomes obsessed with the idea of becoming king and one can sense his thirst for power.

Read More
876 Words | 4 Pages

Over the course of the play, power causes Macbeth to turn from honorable to cruel which leads to his downfall. Early on in the play, ¨Macbeth¨, Macbeth is seen as an honorable man toward everyone, especially toward king Duncan. When the witches tell Macbeth that he will be thane of Cawdor and soon king he says,¨I know I am thane of Glamis. But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives, a

Read More
362 Words | 2 Pages

“He has kill'd me, mother: Run away, I pray you!” This drives Macduff to take revenge by killing Macbeth fulfilling the prophecy and ending Macbeth’s life. If Macbeth did not have so much ambition, he would not have visited the witches or even try to kill Macduff’s family. These two events demonstrate how Macbeth’s great ambition resulted in his downfall.

Read More
824 Words | 4 Pages

At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.

Read More
714 Words | 3 Pages

In shakespeare 's Macbeth there are and twist and turns shake ups and things you couldn 't even imagine. In the play a man named Macbeth is driven crazy with power and starts to do thing out of the ordinary shakespeare says that even the ones closest to you will turn on you though Macbeth by making him turn on the people close to him Betrayal happens right in the beginning of the play it is the reason why the war was started because someone betrayed the king of Scotland. An example of it in act evonne is when king Duncan says “No more that thane of cawdor shall deceive” (act I,III,71) he says this because the thane of cawdor betrayed him and was giving away all of his plans during the battle with Norway. After Macbeth hears his prophecy he decides to take further action which is to kill the king he says “It were done quickly if the assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch” he was basically saying that if he kills the king and get caught there would be serious consequences.

Read More
1578 Words | 7 Pages

The play Macbeth authored by William Shakespeare emphasizes a theme of guilt and regret in relation to unnatural acts, through the character change of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, their relationship and how it can cause emotional breakdown loss of personality and ultimately, loss of sanity. The play was written in the early the 1600s and is set in Scotland. It focuses around the life of Macbeth a Thane, and future king of Scotland, who seemingly does whatever it takes to achieve this prestigious role. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth is steely in her mannerisms and appears to be willing to do anything in order to achieve what she ultimately desires. However, in the final act of the play her steely and cruel nature breaks down due to the

Read More
931 Words | 4 Pages

In the start of Macbeth, Shakespeare portrays the character Macbeth as a well respected brave warrior. Macbeth is a general who fought victoriously in battle for Scotland and his king. Macbeth’s brave and impeccable deeds don’t go unnoticed by King Duncan, who verbally praise him and grant him the new title “Thane of Cawdor.” Unhae Langis, author of Shakespeare and Prudential

Read More
2486 Words | 10 Pages

Macbeth was influenced by the witches and the constant berating and bullying by his wife. He allowed himself to be corrupted and coerced and finally disrupted the Great Chain of Being himself by killing the God-chosen king and replacing him with himself. Shakespeare uses this plot to demonstrate how the great chain of being was disrupted by false ambition dominating over human nature. Macduff was born of caesarian meaning the whole play of Macbeth is ironic as it takes someone who is unnaturally born to destroy Macbeth. Ultimately, Macduff restores the Great Chain of Being by killing Macbeth and presenting the “usurpers cursed head” to Malcolm, who takes his rightful place as King as the true heir to the throne.

Read More
646 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the play, it is seen that majority of Malcolm’s decisions such as to escape Scotland, build an army, and gain support of others, are those that ensure that his family will get the throne back. Malcolm’s motivation is displayed when he builds an army against Macbeth. Once he goes to England, the “gracious England hath/ [l]ent [Malcolm] good Siward and ten thousand

Read More
1025 Words | 5 Pages

The more Macbeth kills, the more blood-thirsty he becomes. Lady Macbeth, who had the idea to kill, starts sleepwalking and imagining blood on her hands. She regrets her decisions immensely and kills herself due to the guilt. Macbeth, depressed about his wife’s death, fights in a battle and comes face to face with Macduff. Macduff assassinated Macbeth and Malcom is crowned the King of Scotland.

Read More
608 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a dark play full of witchcraft and foreshadowing. Lady Macbeth showed scheming qualities throughout the play which had a lot of influence on her husband, Macbeth. Because of her controlling personality, Macbeth was scared to disappoint her. She was the one who positioned the idea of Duncan’s murder into her husband’s mind where he was succumbed by her supremacies and made the ultimate mistake. It was also her idea to place the blame of Duncan’s death on the soldiers.

Read More
433 Words | 2 Pages

Macbeth, Crime and Punishment Macbeth, a warrior, earns the title of Thane of Cawdor early in the play. His wife, Lady Macbeth, wants him to become king like the witches prophesied. They make a plan to kill Duncan while Macbeth starts to kill other people. All this murder begins to weigh heavily on the Macbeth’s and they start going crazy with guilt.

Read More

More about Duncan's Betrayal In Macbeth

Related Topics

Open Document