Why did Macbeth kill King Duncan?
1 Answer
There are a number of answers to this question.
Explanation:
In the strict context of the play, Macbeth has ambitions which are reflected in the witches' prophecy. He is also encouraged by his wife when he wavers in the face of Duncan's murder.
Shakespeare used the play to show what happens when the natural order of things, a view held very strongly at the time, is disturbed.
However Shakespeare wrote Macbeth after James VI of Scotland became James 1st of England. Shakespeare played very loose with Scottish history as the reality was that Duncan was not a very good king and Macbeth was. However Shakespeare reversed this as James was descended from Duncan.
The outcome of the play therefore also justifies the Stuart dynasty of which James was the existing monarch.
