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King Duncan is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Macbeth. He is the father of two youthful sons ( Malcolm and Donalbain ), and the victim of a well-plotted regicide in a power grab by his trusted captain Macbeth .
King Duncan himself soon welcomes and praises Macbeth and Banquo, declaring they will all spend the night at Macbeth's castle in Inverness; also, Duncan's son Malcolm is announced as his official heir. Macbeth sends a letter about the witches ahead to his wife, Lady Macbeth, who is resolute that she and her husband should murder Duncan in order ...
Donaldbain is a character in William Shakespeare's Macbeth (c. 1603–1607). He is the younger son of King Duncan and brother to Malcolm, the heir to the throne. Donaldbain flees to Ireland after the murder of his father for refuge. [1] He is ultimately based on the historical King Donald III of Scotland.
In Act 1.4, Duncan declares Malcolm to be his heir ("We will establish our estate upon / Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter The Prince of Cumberland" – Duncan, Act 1.4 37–39). This act frustrates Macbeth. [3] Malcolm is a guest at Macbeth's castle when Macbeth kills Malcolm's father, Duncan, in Act 2.2. [3]
However, Macduff flees to England to join Malcolm, the slain King Duncan's elder son, and convinces him to return to Scotland and claim the throne. Macbeth, meanwhile, visits the Three Witches again after the spectre of Banquo appears at the royal banquet. The Witches warn Macbeth to "beware Macduff, beware the Thane of Fife" (4.1.81–82).
In the Chronicles version, Macbeth is a much more sympathetic character. King Duncan is depicted as a weak ruler who violates the Scottish laws of succession by failing to consult with the Thanes before naming his son, a mere child named Malcolm, to rule after him. Macbeth and many other Thanes are enraged by this action.
The ancestry of King Duncan is not certain. In modern texts, he is the son of Crínán, hereditary lay abbot of Dunkeld, and Bethóc, daughter of King Malcolm II.However, in the late 17th century the historian Frederic Van Bossen, after collecting historical accounts throughout Europe, identified King Duncan as the first son of Abonarhl ap crinan (the grandson of Crinan) and princess Beatrice ...
He was the second known son of the king's grandson, Duncan. Malcolm died when Donald was a baby, at age 80, and Donald's father became king. King Duncan I however, perished in 1040 when Donald was still a boy, killed by Mormaer Macbeth, yet another grandson of King Malcolm II, who usurped his place as king.