Concerned about Macbeth's tyrannical reign as king of Scotland, Macduff goes to England to seek Malcolm's assistance in overthrowing Macbeth. Malcolm is the rightful king because King Duncan, before he was murdered, named his son the Prince of Cumberland, indicating his wish that his son serve as king after him. Macduff hopes to convince Malcolm of Macbeth's tyranny as king by telling him of the way that Scotland is suffering under his rule:
Each new morn
New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows
Strike heaven on the face... (4.4.5-7).
Macduff, however, must first prove to Malcolm that he himself is not treacherous or some kind of spy sent by Macbeth; also, the prince tests Macduff's loyalty to Scotland by insisting that he has only wicked traits, no redeeming ones, and would not be a suitable king for Scotland. When he asks Macduff if he thinks Malcolm would be "fit to govern," Macduff in despair replies, "No, not fit to live." He almost gives up his mission until Malcolm reveals that he was testing Macduff.
No comments:
Post a Comment