Duncan
· seen to possess all the qualities of the ideal king. Firstly, we see his compassionate nature in his concern for the wounded soldier who delivers the account of the battle, the wounded soldier who is almost too weak to deliver the message.
· A grateful and generous king
· Lavishes praise on Macbeth (’O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!) rewards him with the title Thane of Cawdor
· Honours Macbeth with a visit to Dunsinane, gives Lady Macbeth a gift of a diamond
· He thanks Banquo for his loyalty and courage
· He is seen to be decisive and just in his treatment of the treacherous Thane of Cawdor
· He is a widely respected figure
· Macbeth even acknowledges Duncan’s integrity and fundamental goodness
· Macduff , on discovering Duncan’s murder, describes the dead king as ‘the Lord’s anointed temple’
· Later, Macduff tells Malcolm, that his ‘royal father’ was ‘a most sainted man’
· For the most part, Macbeth’s grief was an act but he did speak the truth when he said about Duncan’s death ‘renown and grace is dead’
· Duncan ironically identifies the flaw in his character that contributes to his death ‘There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face: he was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust’
· His death is seen as a crime against God, it profoundly disturbs the natural world
Adjectives
Compassionate, caring, tender-hearted, humane, generous, kind, just, fair, equitable, decisive, strong-minded, firm, trusting, gullible, naïve, credulous
· seen to possess all the qualities of the ideal king. Firstly, we see his compassionate nature in his concern for the wounded soldier who delivers the account of the battle, the wounded soldier who is almost too weak to deliver the message.
· A grateful and generous king
· Lavishes praise on Macbeth (’O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!) rewards him with the title Thane of Cawdor
· Honours Macbeth with a visit to Dunsinane, gives Lady Macbeth a gift of a diamond
· He thanks Banquo for his loyalty and courage
· He is seen to be decisive and just in his treatment of the treacherous Thane of Cawdor
· He is a widely respected figure
· Macbeth even acknowledges Duncan’s integrity and fundamental goodness
· Macduff , on discovering Duncan’s murder, describes the dead king as ‘the Lord’s anointed temple’
· Later, Macduff tells Malcolm, that his ‘royal father’ was ‘a most sainted man’
· For the most part, Macbeth’s grief was an act but he did speak the truth when he said about Duncan’s death ‘renown and grace is dead’
· Duncan ironically identifies the flaw in his character that contributes to his death ‘There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face: he was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust’
· His death is seen as a crime against God, it profoundly disturbs the natural world
Adjectives
Compassionate, caring, tender-hearted, humane, generous, kind, just, fair, equitable, decisive, strong-minded, firm, trusting, gullible, naïve, credulous