Shakespeare utilises Kingship as a central theme to underpin the play, by revealing how it was the motive for Macbeth’s self fulfilling egocentric aspiration for power. This morally corrosive greed for immoral Kingship led to him succumbing to regice which is the ultimate factor for his tragic downfall.
The concept of kingship is already challenged and violated by the actions of Macbeth committing regicide to help solidify his prophecy of him becoming king. This intricately links to Macbeth’s ambition and morality, disclosing the complexities of power. Macbeth describes Duncan’s murder as to have looked like ‘a breach in nature’ to help present the transgressive and horrifying deeds he has indulged in due to his hamartia constantly blinding him to thirst for power and glory. Shakespeare strategically uses natural imagery of Duncan’s death to foreshadow the natural order being disrupted leading to chaos due to Macbeth’s attempts of claiming the throne and killing the rightful King to the throne. This would evoke feelings of unsettlement and fear to a Jacobean audience as they are centered around the monarchy, which in this time period would be James I, and the idea of regicide would be highly transgressive and deemed a direct defiance with God. The verb ‘breach’ further reinforces Shakespeare’s portrayal of kingship as it illustrates the unlawful and unnatural idea of Macbeth becoming King. It also could be interpreted as ironic as Macbeth is fully aware of his actions and tries to reassure himself that what he is partaking in isn’t extremely immoral. In addition, it describes Duncan’s ‘silver skin to be laced with his golden blood’ which shows the goodness and honourability of King Duncan as his blood is to be ‘golden’ which connotes dignity and a loving King whose only goal was to be better for Scotland. Shakespeare uses the word ‘blood’ as a recurring symbol and motif to present Macbeth’s guilt manifesting and manipulating him until he is internally weak and conflicted which leads to inner turmoil all because of this desire for Kingship.
Kingship within Macbeth is repeatedly challenged, as even when Macbeth has seized the throne and has descended into tyranny; the thought of the witches' prophecy about Banquo’s heirs eventually being king instantly threatens Macbeth’s hubris into continuing his path of muder and carnage. This is best exemplified when it talks about Macbeth’s ‘fruitless crown’ being placed on his head. The word ‘fruitless’ signifies sweet and loving children who also are a legacy to the crown, but Macbeth is without these qualities but Banquo consists of them all which leads him to become insecure. Shakespeare uses Banquo as a foil to Macbeth to shed light on the differences on how Banquo could have ruled before his murder and how again Macbeth has broken the Divine Rights of Kings which in the Jacobean era they were heavily influenced by as they strongly believed that Kings were anointed by God and were put in place to present as servants and role models. The idea about kingship is maintained in Act 3 Scene 2 when Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth ‘O my mind is full of scorpions dear wife’. This reveals Macbeth instability growing as he cannot enjoy the crown without fear of anyone opposing and standing in his way. The metaphor of the scorpions presents the audience with a vivid and visceral imagery of Macbeth’s torment and poisoned, anxious thoughts and how ambition is twisting his mind.
Finally, kingship should have rightfully been placed in Malcolm's hand but Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s ruling has caused only pain and suffering and endless amounts of guilt. Shakespeare has constructed Macbeth to end up being a tyrant to delineate the contrast to ‘brave Macbeth’ to ‘dead butcher’ and how easily he was influenced by the female characters being the witches and Lady Macbeth. The idea of kingship is strengthened by Shakespeare’s use of a chiastic structure to depict Macbeth’s integrity and morality which is misconstrued into immorality and heartless behaviour and Lady Macbeth’s remorseless nature into guilt ridden and regretful self. Lady Macbeth being the main factor of the suffering of Scotland as she continued to emasculate Macbeth as she tells him he is ‘too full of the milk of human kindness’ which illuminates that Macbeth has too many qualities linking to femininity and womanhood. This presents the theme of appearance vs reality as Lady Macbeth is highly subversive of a stereotypical Jacobean woman as she defies gender stereotypes by calling out to spirits to take away her femininity to help aid with her rising to the throne.
Ultimately, Kingship had been altered by Macbeth’s ‘vaulting ambition’ into resulting in only devastation and a cycle of violence. Shakespeare uses his greed for power to present as a warning to those in the Jacobean era who let their hamartia control them as it will only end in death as it is evident that Macbeth’s desire for the throne enabled him to end up susceptible as a tragic hero.
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