In Act IV Malcolm suspects that Macduff is an agent of Macbeth and wonders why Macduff left his family unprotected by going to England. To test his suspicions, he tells Macduff that he himself loves women, jewels, and discord among people:
...but there's no bottom, none,/In my voluptuousness: ...Your matrons...
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and your maids, could not fill up/The cistern of my lust, and my desire...(IV, iii, 60-63)
He continues to state that he possesses no admirable qualities of rulers, no fairness, honesty, kindness, strength of character, stability, devotion, bravery, or patience:
But I have none: the king-becoming graces,/ As justice, verity, temp'rance, stableness,/Bounty, perseverance, mercy , lowliness, /Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,/I have no relish of them, but abound/In the division of each several crime/Acting it many ways (IV, iii,91-97)
But when Macduff responds with a cry of despair and hopelessness for his country, Malcolm tells him that what he has said is a lie, the first lie he has ever told:
Macduff, this noble passion,/Child of integrity, hath from my soul/Wipe the black scruples, reconciled my thoughts/To thy good truth and honor. (IV, iii, 115-119).
Malcolm then goes on to state that he is
yet/ Unknown to woman,,,,scarcely have coveted what was mine own,/At no time broke my faith, would not betray/The devil to his fellow, and delight/No less in truth than life(IV,iii,124-128).
After Malcolm declares that he does, indeed, possess virtue, Macduff is nonplused and says that he does not know what to believe: "Such welcome and unwelcome things at once/'Tis hard to reconcile" (IV,iii,137-138).
However, Malcolm is what he says he is. For, he later encourages Macduff to use the sudden news of his family's slaughter as a reason to fight Macbeth. And, he assumes the role of kingship with dignity and honor in the final act. In his final speech, he inaugurates a new era for Scotland:
As calling home our exiled friends abroad/That fled the snares of watcful tyranny,/...We will perform in measure, time, and place:/So thanks to all at once and to each one,/Whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone (V,iii,66-75).
Act 4, Scene 3 falls at a unique time in the play. After the action-packed, tragic scene that includes the murder of Macduff's family, Shakespeare juxtaposes the action with a long conversation between Malcolm and Macduff. In this conversation, Macduff has traveled to England, where the discussion takes places, to convince Malcolm to return to England and take his place as king. Beginning in line 91, Malcolm lists the qualities that a king should embody, which are: justice, verity, temperance, stableness, bounty, perseverance, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage, and fortitude.
Although he knows the ideal qualities, Malcolm is unsure, especially at the beginning of the conversation, if he has the strength to personify those qualities. In fact, in lines 60–63 and lines 76–84, Malcolm admits that he has strong lusts as well as greed. Thus, he admits to falling short of being temperate, stable, and lowly. However, towards the end of the scene, Malcolm swears to "man up" and return to Scotland in pursuit of the throne. He states in lines 123–137 that he will be a new person and dedicate his life to serving the people rather than his own desires. This revelation gives the audience faith that Malcolm will indeed grow into all of the qualities that he knows he should possess.
In this very interesting scene and the conversation between Malcolm and Macduff - the only scene in the play not taking place in Scotland - Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty. Malcolm doesn't want someone by his side who aligns with him for personal gain. In other words, he doesn't want a sycophant "yes" man, so to be sure that Macduff isn't like that, Malcolm tells Macduff that if he, Malcolm, becomes king, he will be a tyrant. Malcolm says that he will not possess any of the kingly qualities ("...king-becoming graces..."). These qualities are: justice, moderation, honesty, stability, generosity, perseverance, mercy, humility, devotion, patience, courage, and bravery. Once Macduff moans for Scotland's future, Malcolm feels sure of Macduff's loyalty to Scotland, and then tells Macduff that the only time he has ever lied was just then as he said all of that to Macduff and in reality, he has none of the vices he mentioned but has all of those kingly graces.