Assignment: Macbeth Acts 3 & 4, Types of Rulers
For each question, draw on specific words and phrases from the text to provide responses that will contribute to our class discussions of political power and government.
Types of Rulers I
Types of Rulers I
1. The beginning of 3.6 is somewhat confusing; if we don’t read carefully, we may believe that Lennox approves of Macbeth’s dealings. Yet his comments in lines 16-25 make clear that he is aware of the “tyrant’s” deceit, and he and the otherwise unnamed Lord are hopeful that MacDuff and the sons to whom the Scottish throne is “due of birth” (26) will ultimately remove Macbeth.
Read through their exchange in 3.6.1-51 closely; what can you devise, based on their discussion, about how Macbeth has treated his subjects as King?
2. What can you discern from 3.6 about Malcolm and MacDuff, not only their whereabouts, but also the people they are with? How does Shakespeare depict the men that offer them help and safe harbor? Consider as well Lennox’s report of MacDuff’s Departure in 4.1.141-145 and Ross’ update in 4.3.189-193.
3. In 4.3.141-159, Malcolm describes England’s king, Edward the Confessor. How does the play represent this monarch? Compare and contrast him with the Lord’s comments about Macbeth. What kinds of rulers do they appear to be, respectively?
4. In 4.3.109-113, MacDuff describes Duncan and his Queen. How does this comparison resonate with those you’ve examined in the other scenes listed above?
Types of Rulers II
1. 4.3 features an exchange between MacDuff and Malcolm while they are both granted asylum in England. Beginning with 4.3.45, Malcolm expresses his intent to “tread upon the tyrant’s head, / Or wear it on [his] sword,” only to follow that promise with the claim Scotland’s condition will only worsen in his reign. Go through the speech up through line 115 and chart each of the flaws Malcolm claims for himself, as well as MacDuff’s response to those flaws.
2. Based on this exchange (4.3.45-115), which vices might subjects be willing to tolerate in those that govern them? Why? Or, put another way, how does MacDuff justify his acceptance of the sins he is willing to overlook in his prospective monarch? What vice or vices are “deal-breakers” for MacDuff? Can we trust his response as a litmus test for what subjects care most about in their political authorities?
3. What can we deduce from Malcolm’s later confession and self-description in lines 115-139? What character traits therein does Shakespeare emphasize, and what specific words and phrases are significant in defining Malcolm as a future king? Is he intended to represent the ideal monarch?