Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Kingship in William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth”. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page paper which examines how kingship is presented in the play in terms of a king’s values, and how Macbeth either follows or breaks them. Specifically considered is the role of king as a leader, his qualities, the notion that the king is appointed by God and the significance of this within the natural order of the universe, the images and emotions associated with the murder of the king upsetting this natural order, and how others, particularly Macbeth, act towards the king, and how these attitudes change. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGkingmb.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
It is, simply, the necessary attributes a man must have not only to succeed as a king, but also to lay a valid claim to the throne. When
writing about this topic, a student must first consider kingship in a historical context. In order to be officially recognized as king, he had to be regarded as legitimate
in that he must be "chosen by God... The kings rights were... obtained from God and he was accountable to no one else. This was the doctrine of the
divine right of kings" (Asimov 164). Therefore, a king was not only a man of the people, so to speak, he was also an earthly representative of God.
It was he who presided over the natural order of the universe. The law of tanistry was applicable during Shakespeares time, which meant that succession did not necessarily mean
father to son. Any man who sported a royal pedigree (as Lord Macbeth did), could, in fact, become king, should circumstances, either natural or unnatural, prevail. For this
reason, murdering a monarch in order to seize the throne was commonplace. However, such an act came at a heavy moral price because, as author Isaac Asimov observed in
his consideration of Shakespeares works, "To kill a king... was to commit the highest form of sacrilege. The killing was of Gods deputy and, therefore, in a way, of
God himself" (164). Since the Bards plays were frequently written and staged to serve as royal entertainment, the issue of kingship was often
a featured theme. Never was kingship more dramatically considered than in Shakespeares 1606 play, The Tragedy of Macbeth. The values of kingship, as presented in Macbeth, include honor,
...