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Loyalty And Betrayal In Macbeth

672 Words3 Pages

Loyalty and betrayal are two conflicting characters, yet they find a way to bring out one another. A person cannot represent one quality without showing the other; to show complete loyalty, one must betray another in a way. Whether out of good or evil intentions, a person will show an act of loyalty, which will end in betrayal. In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, loyalty and betrayal are displayed in the play. Throughout the play, many characters betray what is most crucial to them and in the end happen to lose it all. Macbeth, Macduff, Malcolm and Banquo learn that all loyalty comes with a worthy price.
In this scene in Act 4.3, we will witness an exchange between Malcolm and Macduff, near King Edwards place in England. Malcolm and Macduff …show more content…

Malcolm is honest with Macduff and informs him that he may be trustworthy but Malcolm himself must tread very lightly in these dark times. Malcolm begins his testing of Macduff’s loyalty by acting that he would not be fit to be King and would actually be worse than Macbeth. The purpose here is to see if Macduff really has Scotland’s welfare as his top concern. Malcolm states "But there's no bottom, none, in my voluptuousness." (4.3 60-61)
"I should cut off the nobles for their lands,
"Desire his jewels, and this other's house." (4.3 79-80)
"Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude-
I have no relish of them," (4.3 94-95)
Seeing Macduff’s horror at the thought of such a disgusting character as king, Malcolm tells Macduff he was testing him and that he is a pure and Malcolm shows Macduff that he has qualities to be king "I am yet
Unknown to woman, never was forsworn,
Scarcely have coveted what was mine own,
At no time broke my faith," (4.3 125-128)
When Malcolm becomes king he is going to name all this kinsmen and thanes, earls, the first ones in Scotland. Also, he will call back all the people that fled under Macbeth reign as king. Malcolm will also change all the evil ministers that Macbeth had, Malcolm will be a strong and honest king, the king Scotland was waiting

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