- what Malcolm says about himself
- how Macduff establishes his sadness about Malcolm's remarks
- how Macduff establishes his loyalty to Scotland
- how Malcolm's test succeeds at binding the two men together before they battle Macbeth in Act 5
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Conversation #2 Group A
The first half of Act 4 scene 3 of the play is in the form of a dialogue between Malcolm and MacDuff through which Malcolm tests MacDuff in a most peculiar way: by describing himself as wise than Macbeth, Malcolm is looking to see the degree which Macduff is loyal to Scotland more than to any particular leader. Please comment on
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Malcolm describes himself as worse than Macbeth. He says that he is greedy and doesn't have any of the necessary qualities to be a good king. When Macduff says that surely he couldn't be worse than Macbeth, Malcolm tells him that he is greediness makes him much worse. Macduff establishes his sadness when he says, "Oh Scotland, Scotland!" because he is wailing about the fact that the country he feels so strongly about is doomed if Malcolm becomes king. He then establishes his loyalty to Scotland when he has an outburst after Malcolm asks him if he is suitable to be king. Macduff yells about how unfit Malcolm would be for the job and proceeds to point out that Duncan was a very loyal king and Malcolm is a disgrace to his royal family.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the first half of Act 4 scene 3, Malcolm says that he is worse than Macbeth due to his greediness and lust. He also states that he wouldn’t be a good king because if he was king of Scotland, he would drag Scotland to hell. Once Malcolm says this, Macduff expresses sadness by saying “Bleed, bleed, poor country!” and “Oh Scotland, Scotland!” Macduff also says that he has “lost all hope”. When saying this, one is able to comprehend that Macduff is upset with everything that has happened to the country he loves and that if it is to be ruled by Malcolm, it will burn to the ground. Malcolm later asks Macduff if he is willing to be king and Macduff establishes his loyalty towards Scotland by explaining his patriotism. Macduff also tells Malcolm that he is not fit to be king if he is not willing to fight for Scotland. Malcolm’s test succeeds at binding the two men together before they battle Macbeth because Macduff has proved his integrity and now Malcolm trusts Macduff.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm says that he will be a more ruthless leader than Macbeth. He says that he will rape woman and do anything he wants. He says that he will steal people’s land and everyone will be miserable. Macduff responds by saying “Oh Scotland, Scotland!” when he says this he is showing that he is more loyal to his country than to any leader. This shows that the well being of his country is his top priority in opposed to power being his priority. His reaction to Macduff expresses his sadness and his loyalty to Scotland. Malcolm’s test binds the man together because it shows that they both care deeply about their country. The fact that Malcolm cares enough about Scotland to make sure everyone fighting with him his loyal shows Macduff that he truly cares about Scotland. When Macduff becomes miserable after hearing Malcolm’s “plans” for Scotland, this shows Malcolm that Macduff also cares about Scotland. The fact that they both clearly have a strong love for Scotland binds them together.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm tells Macduff that he will be much worse of a ruler than Macbeth. He says that he will rape the women, steal the Noble's wives, and create chaos all over. Although Macduff says that he is willing to compromise and give up some freedom for the good of Scotland, as Malcolm establishes the extent of chaos his reign will bring, Macduff responds by saying that the nation is doomed. He tells Malcolm that he will not be able to live in a nation ruled by such evil, and that he is truly disappointed that a man born of such an honorable family can be so evil on the inside. This assures Malcolm that Macduff has good morals and goals for Scotland, and it establishes that Macduff will be a force for good during, and after the fight against Macbeth.
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