In Shakespeare’s work of literature, Macbeth, there are various characters who appear briefly throughout the play, but have a significant presence which affects the plot and development of other characters greatly. These presences create tension for other characters (not necessarily the protagonist/antagonist) which can influence them to go through with certain actions that can benefit certain circumstances or cause misfortune in others. One of the most evident cases of a significant presence in Macbeth is Macduff. Macduff momentarily appears in the first two acts, appears briefly in England, but then disappears and does not reappear until the final battle between Macbeth and the English army. Macduff provokes constant anxiety on Macbeth whilst …show more content…
The first unmistakable sign of Macduff and his suspicions is in the middle of Act II, when Macbeth murders the guards who supposedly slaughtered the king. Macduff asks him why he killed them, and Macbeth replies with, “There the murderers/ steep’d in the colors of their trade; their daggers/ unmannerly breech’d with gore. Who could refrain, / that had a heart to love and in that heart/ courage to make’s love known?” (II, III, 110-114). Macbeth states that he killed the guards moved by his love of the king, Macduff believes this untrue, since he knows Macbeth is a strategist. The men who “killed” Duncan had been his guards for a long period of time and had always been loyal to the throne; therefore, it appeared that a nobleman must have bribed the guards. Macduff believes Macbeth could have gotten the guards to confess the name of the man who wanted Duncan dead, surely Macbeth would have thought the same, so why kill the guards? From this point forward, Macduff doubts Macbeth’s actions. Later, Ross asks Macduff, “Will you to Scone?” (II, IV, 36), and he replies with, “No, cousin, I’ll to Fife” (II, IV, 37). Macduff claims he will not attend Macbeth’s coronation, which shows disrespect towards Macbeth and the throne. When news reaches Macbeth, he is wary of Macduff, and knows quite well that Macduff may suspect how Macbeth came to the throne. Before Macbeth can “question” him, Macduff flees to England, …show more content…
Lennox is the first noble who is impacted by Macduff. This is clarified in Lennox’s soliloquy in act III where he too becomes suspicious of Macbeth’s morals. Lennox is aware that Macduff left for England to convince Malcolm to return to Dunsinane to claim the throne as the rightful heir. He trusts Macduff’s decisions, and therefore Lennox begins to join the side that rebels against Macbeth. After time, Lennox convinces other nobles such as Ross to join him. He supports Macduff’s decisions and wishes the return of Macduff so he may join the battle against Macbeth, as he said in his conversation with an unnamed Lord, “Some holy angel /fly to the court of England and unfold/his message ere he come, that a swift blessing/may soon return to this our suffering country/under a hand accursed!”(III, VI, 46-50). Many nobles have faith in Macduff and know he is an honorable man, therefore others join the fight against the tyrant who sits on the throne. During this time in the play, Macduff’s impact on the nobles is so great, that even though he is miles and miles away, he is building an army back in Scotland that will eventually join with him, Malcolm, and the English army to battle against the “bloody