Macbeth Group

Question:

troubled-student
troubled-stu...
Student
College - Sophomore

What exactly did Macdonwald do in "Macbeth" for him to be hung?

I'm writing an essay on who is responsible for the events in Macbeth and I'm starting with Macdonwald. Could you tell me if you know exactly what he done to be hung. I know he committed treason to king Duncan, and i know the Norway king was involved but i am having trouble wording it.

any help would b appreciated.

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Posted by troubled-student on Tuesday March 10, 2009 at 7:07 AM and tagged with characters, hung, macbeth, macdonwald.

Answers:

  1. joe30pl
    joe30pl Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    eNotes Editor

    Best answer as selected by question asker.

    Good question, but I believe you are somewhat mistaken. Macdonwald was not hung, but rather:

    And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald--
    Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
    The multiplying villanies of nature
    Do swarm upon him--from the western isles
    Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied;
    And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,
    Show'd like a rebel's whore: but all's too weak:
    For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name--
    Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,
    Which smoked with bloody execution,
    Like valour's minion carved out his passage
    Till he faced the slave;
    Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
    Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps,
    And fix'd his head upon our battlements.
    (Macbeth, Act I, Scene 2)

    Macdonwald was conspiring against the king with the King of Norway. We know that much, but as the actual concrete reason? Rebelling against the king is the given answer. Hope this helps.

    Sources:
    http://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/full.html

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    Posted by joe30pl on Tuesday March 10, 2009 at 7:55 AM

  2. pmiranda2857
    pmiranda2857 Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Macdonwald was killed on the battlefield by Macbeth, you might be confusing him with the Thane of Cawdor. 

    "Macbeth is introduced as the brave man who led King Duncan's forces to victory against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, Macdonwald and The King of Norway, in a battle that could have gone either way were it not for Macbeth's leadership. We learn that Macbeth killed Macdonwald himself in battle. King Duncan, overjoyed, decides to make Macbeth his new Thane of Cawdor. The previous Thane of Cawdor will be executed."

     Macdonwald was working with the Thane of Cawdor, who is later executed by hanging.  It is after he is executed for treason, that Macbeth is named Thane of Cawdor.

    Both men were working against King Duncan with invading forces to overthrow the throne of Scotland. 

    Sources:
    http://absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/macbeth/summary/mac...

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    Posted by pmiranda2857 on Tuesday March 10, 2009 at 4:59 PM