![]() ![]() Along with Malcolm, Macduff leads the forces of good against the diabolical Macbeth. ‘What am I truly is thine and my poor country’s to command’. Macduff ultimately succeeds in promoting the rightful king of Scotland into action as Malcolm places himself at Macduff’s and his country’s disposal. When Malcolm declares that he would be an even greater tyrant than Macbeth, Macduff’s cry of despair (‘O Scotland, Scotland’) makes it clear that he is a genuine Scottish patriot. He underlines the extent of Scotland’s suffering under Macbeth’s tyranny (‘…each new day, new widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike heaven in the face’) in the hope of rousing Malcolm into action. It is not easy for him to convince the suspicious Malcolm that he can trust him. He seeks out Malcolm because he regards him as the rightful king of Scotland. ![]() Macduff plays a central role in the counter-movement against Macbeth. The Scottish lord hopes that God will guide Macduff’s efforts to save his country: ‘With Him above to ratify the work, we may again give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights, free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives.’ Encouraged by Macduff’s enterprise, Lennox is hopeful that ‘a swift blessing may soon return to this our suffering country under a hand accursed.’ It is known that Macduff has gone to request the military assistance of ‘the holy king’ in the hope of ridding his suffering country of the tyrannical usurper, Macbeth. The conversation between Lennox and another Scottish lord in Act 3 Scene 6 indicates that, following his departure for the court of King Edward of England, Macduff becomes a source of hope for his countrymen. Ross pays tribute to Macduff’s judgement and wisdom when he tells Lady Macduff that her husband is ‘noble, wise, judicious and best knows the fits of the season.’īy departing for England, Macduff becomes a symbol of hope for his suffering country. In the atmosphere of mistrust and intrigue that characterises Macbeth’s reign, Macduff acts rather than talks. Macduff’s shrewdness is also evident in the manner in which he keeps his thoughts and plans to himself. After Macbeth announces that he has killed Duncan’s guards, Macduff coldly asks him: ‘Wherefore did you so?‘ His refusal to go to Scone to see Macbeth being crowned underlines his suspicions of him. It is Macduff who reminds us that the killing of Duncan was regarded as a grave offence against God. ![]() His outraged reaction underscores the enormity of the crime of regicide: “Most sacrilegious murder hath broken open the Lord’s anointed temple and stolen thence the life o’ the building!’ At that time the king was seen as God’s representative on earth. It is Macduff who discovers that Duncan has been murdered after he comes to Dunsinane to awaken the king and escort him home. He is a true Scottish patriot and a symbol of loyalty and integrity. Macduff is the embodiment of vengeance and justice and helps to restore the natural order. He ultimately reveals the hollowness of the witches’ prophecies when he tells Macbeth how he was born. Macduff is a shrewd character, and the first to suspect Macbeth.Īfter Macduff departs for England, he becomes a symbol of hope for his suffering country, later playing a central role in the counter movement against Macbeth. His reaction to discovering that Duncan has been murdered underlines the gravity of Macbeth’s crime. Although the character is not developed in any great detail, Macduff performs a number of important dramatic functions.
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