Death duncan’s murder king night good earth deed

Text	The Death of King Duncan Duncan’s death seems to bring about a sort of apocalyptic chaos, showing how atrocious and distressing his murder is. The way the atmosphere is described even before Duncan’s death has been discovered implies that even the nature is affected by his murder. Lennox reports, “The night has been unruly [...] Lamentings heard i’th’air, strange screams of death / And prophesying with accents terrible / Of dire combustion and confused events, / New hatched to th’woeful time. The obscure bird / Clamoured the livelong *night. Some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake,” (2.3). ➔ Lexis from the {{c4::semantic field of chaos and destruction}}, such as “dire combustion”, “clamoured”, and “shake”, reflects how Duncan’s murder has gone against nature. It may also symbolise God’s anger and wrath at being defied by Macbeth. ➔ Moreover, “feverous” connotes disease, suggesting Macbeth’s deed has brought sickness to the land. ➔ “Lamentings”, “strange screams of death”, and “prophesying” are references to the murder and the Witches, echoing the grief and “tears” Macbeth predicted in 1.7. Once the king’s body is discovered, Ross observes, “By th’clock ‘tis day / And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. / Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame, / That darkness does the face of earth entomb / When living light should kiss it?” (2.4). Duncan’s death has had a permanent effect on the weather and the daylight. ➔ The “dark night” symbolises the wickedness that now dominates the world. ➔ The reference to “th’clock”, “day” and “night” implies time itself has stopped. ➔ The semantic field of death and murder, “strangles”, “entomb”, “living”, proves Duncan’s death has impacted the whole world, so that everything is murderous or tainted by decay. Shakespeare suggests that Duncan’s death disrupts the whole natural order. The Old Man remarks to Ross, “‘Tis unnatural, / Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last, / A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place / Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed,” (2.4). “Like the deed that’s done” implies the state of the world has altered to mirror the murder. Just as a good monarch improves the health of his whole country, the death of a good monarch takes the whole country into decay and disrepair. ➔ The “falcon” is a mighty bird of prey, symbolising Duncan, while a “mousing owl” is a less impressive predator who would normally be inferior to the falcon. The incident is therefore an omen of what was to come, with Macbeth wrongfully killing the king, who is above him in the natural Divine Order. Duncan’s corpse is described with allusions to piety and royalty, reflecting how the death of a king is the death of God’s chosen representative on earth. Macduff describes the crime scene, “Confusion now hath made his masterpiece: / Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope / The Lord’s anointed temple and stole thence / The life o’th’building,”* (2.3). ➔ The adjective “*sacrilegious” alludes to the Divine Right of Kings. Duncan’s body is described as “The Lord’s anointed temple”, conveying his sanctity and importance. ➔ By presenting Duncan’s corpse as a “temple” made of “silver” and “gold*”, Shakespeare implies he wasn’t human. This means the qualities of a good king go beyond his mind. A good king can be identified from his very form and essence.

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The Death of King Duncan

Duncan’s death seems to bring about a sort of apocalyptic chaos, showing how atrocious and distressing his murder is. The way the atmosphere is described even before Duncan’s
death has been discovered implies that even the nature is affected by his murder. Lennox reports,

“The night has been unruly [...] Lamentings heard i’th’air, strange screams of death / And prophesying with accents terrible / Of dire combustion and confused events, / New hatched to th’woeful time. The obscure bird / Clamoured the livelong night. Some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake,” (2.3).

➔ Lexis from the {{c4::semantic field of chaos and destruction}}, such as “dire combustion”, “clamoured”, and “shake”, reflects how Duncan’s murder has gone
against nature. It may also symbolise God’s anger and wrath at being defied by Macbeth.
➔ Moreover, “feverous” connotes disease, suggesting Macbeth’s deed has brought sickness to the land.
➔ “Lamentings”, “strange screams of death”, and “prophesying” are references to the murder and the Witches, echoing the grief and “tears” Macbeth predicted in 1.7.

Once the king’s body is discovered, Ross observes, “By th’clock ‘tis day / And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. / Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame, / That darkness does the face of earth entomb / When living light should kiss it?” (2.4).
Duncan’s death has had a permanent effect on the weather and the daylight.
➔ The “dark night” symbolises the wickedness that now dominates the world.
➔ The reference to “th’clock”, “day” and
“night” implies time itself has stopped.
➔ The semantic field of death and murder, “strangles”, “entomb”, “living”, proves Duncan’s death has impacted the whole world, so that everything is murderous or tainted by decay.

Shakespeare suggests that Duncan’s death disrupts the whole natural order. The Old Man remarks to Ross, “‘Tis unnatural, / Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday
last, / A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place / Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed,” (2.4). “Like the deed that’s done” implies the state of the world has altered to
mirror the murder. Just as a good monarch improves the health of his whole country, the death of a good monarch takes the whole country into decay and disrepair.
➔ The “falcon” is a mighty bird of prey, symbolising Duncan, while a “mousing owl” is a less impressive predator who would normally be inferior to the falcon. The
incident is therefore an omen of what was to come, with Macbeth wrongfully killing the king, who is above him in the natural Divine Order.

Duncan’s corpse is described with allusions to piety and royalty, reflecting how the death of a king is the death of God’s chosen representative on earth. Macduff describes the crime scene, “Confusion now hath made his masterpiece: / Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope / The Lord’s anointed temple and stole thence / The life o’th’building,” (2.3).

➔ The adjective “sacrilegious” alludes to the Divine Right of Kings. Duncan’s body is described as “The Lord’s anointed temple”, conveying his sanctity and importance.
➔ By presenting Duncan’s corpse as a “temple” made of “silver” and “gold”, Shakespeare implies he wasn’t human. This means the qualities of a good king go beyond his mind. A good king can be identified from his very form and essence.

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