Macbeth Group

Question:

mrsjbrown1
mrsjbrown1
Student
College - Sophomore

In Macbeth, what prompts people to think that Malcolm and Donalbain may be guilty of killing their father?

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Posted by mrsjbrown1 on Thursday March 12, 2009 at 8:17 PM and tagged with act ii, donalbain, duncan, macbeth, malcolm, murder, shakespeare.

Answers:

  1. mshurn
    mshurn Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    Suspicion falls on Malcolm and Donalbain for the murder of their father, King Duncan, because they run away after Duncan's body is found. They run, however, because they realize that as Duncan's heirs, their lives, too, are most likely in danger. Donalbain tells his brother they should flee immediately, even before they have had time to mourn their father:

    What should be spoken here,

    Where our fate, hid in an auger-hole,

    May rush, and seize us? Let's away:

    Our tears are not yet brewed.

    Agreed, they do leave, with Malcom going to England and Donalbain to Ireland. By separating, they are individually safer. As they part, Donalbain sums up their situation:

    Where we are

    There's daggers in men's smiles; the near in blood,

    The nearer bloody.

    When they are discovered missing the morning after the murder, guilt immediately shifts to them simply because they have left without explanation. It is Macduff who gives this news to Ross in Act II.

     

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/macbeth/act-ii-summary-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/macbeth/other-characters-descriptions

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    Posted by mshurn on Thursday March 12, 2009 at 8:52 PM

  2. sara-heintz
    sara-heintz Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    This is a good question because Macbeth and Lady Macbeth go to some trouble to frame Duncan's guard's for the murder. In Act II, scene ii, after Macbeth has committed the murder, Lady Macbeth plants the bloody daggers on the drunk guards and smears them with the king's blood.

         Give me the daggers [...]

         I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal

         For it must seem theit guilt

    Then, before they can defend themselves, Macbeth kills them. See Act II, scene iii.

    Malcolm, as Prince of Cumberland is next in line for the throne and is therefore in danger. of being assinated because he is now the new king. He is also a suspect in the kings death and running away,although it keeps him safe, makes him appear guilty.

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    Posted by sara-heintz on Sunday March 15, 2009 at 1:42 AM