ipl-logo

Comparing Macbeth's Three Scottish Kings, And Trew Law

1612 Words7 Pages

Macbeth’s Three Scottish Kings and Trew Law
Kingship was a contentious issue throughout western European history. Determining throne succession, the role of the king to his subjects, and the role of the subjects were debated and enacted differently throughout reigns. James VI of Scotland (who later would become James I of England) published Trew Law of Free Monarchies in 1598 in which he defines the role of the king and his subjects, lays out the qualities of good kingship, condemns resistance theory, and promotes divine right. All of these were still popular issues at the time and heavily debated. Macbeth, a play produced in 1606 by William Shakespeare, implements many of these ideals into the context of the Scottish throne, specifically three kings: Duncan, Macbeth and Malcolm. Each king’s different approach to obtaining the obedience of their subjects (one of the qualities of kingship in Trew Law) …show more content…

James uses many biblical figures in Trew Law to define the qualities of kingship and uses them to promote his kingship. He first writes the king is to minister justice which involves punishing those who commit evil and rewarding those who promote good. Next he writes the king is to make laws and make sure the laws are obeyed by subjects and maintain peace both within the kingdom and with other kingdoms. James finishes by writing the king is to promote and keep the Religion and defend the state with its people (2). James lists these off as the important qualities of a king very clearly. All of these qualities listed above in addition to appointed by God can be used to define a good king. In Macbeth, two kings are seen on the Scottish throne with one more assumed to take the throne at the end of the

Show More
Related

  • Age Of Absolutism Dbq

    733 Words  | 3 Pages

    King James I of England believed that Kings have divine power and should be able to exercise it. (Document 2) It was thought that these Kings were sent down to rule by God himself. They were considered to be holy and should be treated like a god. (Document 5)

    Read More

  • Macbeth Compare And Contrast

    770 Words  | 4 Pages

    Making a movie from direct content that is more than a hundred years old is easy because all the scenes and script is there for your use. Some directors like to make some drastic or minor changes based on their own interpretation of the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. While watching both Goold (2010) and Polanski (1971), I have noticed a lot of major differences between the two movies and the original play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare. Some of the differences I have noticed is that is in Goold (2010), Macbeth actually comes to kill Lady Macduff and her children. Another difference in Goold (2010) is that the witches are shown throughout the film.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Power Quotes

    659 Words  | 3 Pages

    King Duncan was a great leader and the people liked him because he looked out for them and cared for them because he wasn’t selfish. “Conduct me to my host; we love him highly and shall continue our graces towards him. By your leave, hostess”(Act 1, Scene 6). This quote shows how the people see King Duncan as a person and a ruler. He respects the people and they do the same.

    Read More

  • Macbeth And Ozymandias Comparison

    348 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth and Ozymandias are two different stories that shares a similar theme. Both tales are about power that ended presumptuously and resulted into downfall. The two texts also shares a story of two kings, once very powerful, failing with their ambition. In the poem Ozymandias, it shows a "powerful king" in emptiness.

    Read More

  • Respect And Betrayal In Macbeth

    780 Words  | 4 Pages

    King is the highest honor someone could have during this time, with that comes respect and loyalty. The king is highly venerated and held at almost a holy standard. One would expect that someone who loves their country would also love their king. Often times the reason for someone not liking their king is the way they rule. Speaking in terms of the play Macbeth, Duncan-the king of Scotland- rules justly and fairly, but he still has plenty of traitors within his group of trusted men.

    Read More

  • Macbeth And Malcolm's Influence On Scotland

    796 Words  | 4 Pages

    Malcolm, son of Duncan and soon to be king, shows detailed character development from his actions and speeches for his country Scotland. These actions and speeches foreshadows how Malcolm’s leadership will benefit the country but were overlooked by many because of Macbeth’s influence on Scotland. Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, shows the actions of Macbeth and how his presence diminishes the royalty of Scotland. Macbeth also shows the actions of Malcolm and how he will deal with Macbeth and what he is doing. Macbeth’s influence as king forced many to believe that the Scotland’s future will fall.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Throne Quotes

    624 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the reasons the throne holds the most power is the rewards and allure of the throne, one of the rewards of the throne is that Macbeth gets a title for himself, (Macbeth, 1,3,48-50) (‘’All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!

    Read More

  • Analyse The Theme Of Justice And Injustice In Macbeth

    953 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the tragedy of Macbeth, there is much deception, murder, and sadness. It is very interesting how the story plays out with the many crimes Macbeth and his wife commit. They do get what they deserve, but not by the hand of a judge or a courtroom, and certainly not at the pace that they should have received their punishment. In Act I, Macbeth and Banquo had just returned from their battles against the invading armies of Ireland and Norway.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Macbeth And Macduff

    427 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macduff proves to be the true hero. Macduff proves to be the true hero of the play for being loyal to his country and killing Macbeth. Macbeth and Macduff differ because Macbeth is conceded and a killer, while Macduff is not. Macduff, the Thane of Fife, proves to be a loyal man when it comes to his country and his people. For example, Macduff deserts his family in order to go to England to meet with Malcolm and the king of England, so all three of them can go back to Scotland to defeat Macbeth for once and all.

    Read More

  • Monarchy In Early Modern Europe

    974 Words  | 4 Pages

    It held religious justifications, followed the natural order of authority, and brought great wealth and power to its nation. A substantial source of strength for monarchy was the religious justification of the divine right of kings. This principle claimed that kings were anointed and derived their power directly from God. Essentially, rulers, “act as the ministers of God and as His lieutenants on earth.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Three Kings Of Macbeth

    659 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lastly, a good king is Duncan. Duncan is a king who is loyal and and genres. Another reason Duncan is a good kind is, he has experience on being a king. None of the other kings have experience. One example on how he was loyal, is how he had given Lady Macbeth a gift for being the lady of the place.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Absolutism

    856 Words  | 4 Pages

    To many, monarchs were God 's form on earth. King James I of England said that "The state of monarchy is the supreme thing upon earth; for kings are not only God’s lieutenants on earth, and sit upon God’s throne, but even by God Himself they are called gods..." (Document 2). Like King James I, people believed monarchs were needed because they had power like God. Kings and Queens were essential and brought goodness to the land.

    Read More

  • Comparing Macbeth And Throne Of Blood

    1209 Words  | 5 Pages

    Ana Rangel 2/27/17 Period 3 Comparison Essay The play, “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” by William Shakespeare has many differences in the setting than the movie, “Throne of Blood,” directed by Akira Kurosawa. There are many noticeable differences in the play and movie which make the plot different from one another. Macbeth and Throne of Blood are the same story, but different setting.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: An Aristotelian Tragic Hero

    703 Words  | 3 Pages

    An Aristotelian tragic hero is a character born of noble birth and, by destiny, has a tragic flaw that inevitably leads to his or her downfall and redeems his or herself by the end of the tragedy. For one to consider a play a tragedy, the character of the play must be noble, and the play typically starts off with happiness and wealth. The play ends with sadness and the hero has a tragic flaw that causes their downfall. In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth fits the definition of an Aristotelian tragic hero. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he starts by being loyal and trustworthy, develops a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall, and he redeems a small measure of himself before he dies.

    Read More

  • Essay On Unjust Law

    1666 Words  | 7 Pages

    King addresses the characteristics of unjust laws in 3 points. First point being that just laws are always harmonious with natural morale law. Second point being that a just law is one that uplifts human personality as opposed to degrading human personality. Lastly, a just law can only be created in the most democratic manner possible and if it is not, the minority automatically has the right to disobey the law because they had no say in the creation of the law. As for the first point, a natural morale law must be measured by our natural human sense.

    Read More

More about Comparing Macbeth's Three Scottish Kings, And Trew Law

Open Document