Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
macduff - Coggle Diagram
macduff
character in context
macduff reaction to duncans death is a log, hyperbolic speech where he uses religious language which demonstrates he believes in the divine right of kings - shows macduff to be adhering to the religious and moral beliefs at the time
macduff uses metaphorical language to describe duncans death - "most sacreligeous murder hath broke ope the lords anointed temple". his body is referred to as a temple in order to reinforce the holiness of duncans reign. he recognises duncan as the rightful king who has been divinely ordained
hence the murder is not just a crime, it is an unforgivable sin against god, which is "sacrilegious" and unholy - tantamount to the murder of god himself
in the jacobean era it was believed that the king was chosen by god, therefore to try and change this would be going against gods will
-
he also recognises the murder will have bigger consequences for scotland as he states "see the great dooms image", which is a reference to judgement day
sugests he sees the kings death as comparable to the end of the world and that ending a divine bloodlines right to the throne is a sin - natural order has been disturbed and chaos will ensue, like at the end of the world
patriotic
man who adores scotland and must save them from macbeths rule - recognises macbeths reign brings chaos
uses motif of personifying scotland, as macbeth is causing scotland to "bleed bleed poor country". shakespeare uses this technique to symbolise how scotland is dying as the 'great chain of being' has been subverted
-
shakespeare evidences macduffs care for all of scotland through the use of parallelism as "new windows howl, new orphans cry" - demonstrates macduff is considering detrimental effects of macbeths reign holistically.
-
sensitive
macduff differs from other males in the play as he exhibits emotions which is considered to be a feminine quality - macduff violence is not dangerous the way macbeths is as it comes from love for his country and family. grief convert to anger
macduff believes macbeth must have no children to explain how he can live with guilty conscience of murdering macduffs children - this also means that there is no equal way of retaliation from macduff as losing family is a greater pain than death
macduffs disbelief is evidenced through shakespeares use of many rhetorical questions and repetition of questions he has already asked - "all my pretty ones?", "my children too?", "my wife kill'd too?". cannot imagine someone could do that - contrast with macbeth as his selfish ambition is put before all else
-
"thy hope ends here"
this demonstrates macduffs pessimistic outlook - he would not be able to live in happiness if scotland was ruled by a tyrant
malcolm also tests macduff and proves him not to be naive - he will not accept something that would not be good for the country
"he is noble, wise judicious"
ross is defending macduff and the audience is introduced to an initial view that he is a calculated and trustworthy leader
-