Enter MACBETH, BANQUO, ROSS, and ANGUS
DUNCAN O worthiest cousin! The sin of my ingratitude even now Was heavy on me: thou art so far before That swiftest wing of recompense is slow To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved, That the proportion both of thanks and payment Might have been mine! only I have left to say, More is thy due than more than all can pay.
MACBETH The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself.
Your highness' part, is to receive our duties;
And our duties are to your throne and state,
Children and servants, which do but what they should,
By doing every thing safe toward your love
And honour.
As with the way others will later talk of him, Duncan's words create a presentation of a capable and just king, one who is concerned with "gratitude", "recompense" and the "thanks and payments" "deserved". The natural imagery of "swiftest wing" suggests an almost angelic purity, alluding perhaps to Duncan's place within the natural order: rather than usurping his superiors to gain power, like Macbeth, he becomes leader through the Divine Right of Kings and tanistry. Duncan's virtuosity and obedience to a natural justice are juxtaposed with Macbeth's interference with the natural order and fraternizing with the metaphysical world: no good king, it seems to be suggested, would consult the witches to hasten the "slow" speed of "recompense". The final rhyming couplet in Duncan's short speech exalting Macbeth is also interesting, setting up a connection between words and honour - "say" and "pay". This is a speech which is about "proportion", about what is earned and what is due, and the lines themselves both resist and hint at proportion. Duncan is evidently exhilarated by the battle; he is struggling to control his normal calm and collected iambic pentameter, as shown by the exclamation mark that acts as a caesura. However, Duncan manages to remain unruffled, and the rhymed couplet provides a sense of finality to the rest of the dialogue: Macbeth's part now is to accept the proclamation of praise. Despite this seeming resolution, the final line ("than more than all can pay") seems a little clumsy, perhaps implying the failure of words to account for action. Duncan's admiration seems genuine, but there is a sense of expectation of more to come: Macbeth's deeds are not yet finished, and as such "more is thy due": Duncan cannot yet fully express his gratitude. Macbeth's response is perhaps more measured and crafted, setting out an ordered, 'ideal' political kingdom. He picks up Duncan's language of obligation and privilege - "owe" and "pays" - and shows that he understands the workings of the state on both a macrocosmic ("throne and state") and microcosmic ("children and servants") level. By listing positions of power in descending order (something he will do again - most bizarrely in the 'dog' speech in 3.1), he stresses a natural hierarchy and body politic, conveying perhaps his obsession with power. While Duncan is praising Macbeth for his trustworthiness, Macbeth is considering his status. He shows here that he is clearly aware of the Aristotelian notion (advocated by James I in Basilikon Doron) of political stability being dependent upon each person within the state doing "but what they should", intensifying the horror when Macbeth later subjugates Duncan.
- Emily and MollyÂ