Malcolm

__Young Malcolm:__
 * [[image:http://pretallez.com/onstage/theatre/broadway/macbeth/images/mb20.jpg]]

Biography**:
 * He is the oldest son of the King of Cumberland, Duncan.
 * Is given the title, Prince of Cumberland
 * After Macbeth is told that he will become king, he thinks that he will be nominated for Prince of Cumberland. However, Malcolm gets the title and Macbeth is secretly angry.
 * Malcolm shows that he is a very sensitive young man
 * Macbeth considers Malcolm a major obstacle. " The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down or else o'erleap"

After the murder of his father Duncan, Malcolm flees to England. This is in fear that he will be killed next. His brother Donalbain goes to Ireland for the same reason. Because Malcolm and Donalbain fled, some people are now suspicious that they killed their father so that they could be king. But because they fled, Macbeth was named King of Scotland.

In Act IV, Malcolm expresses to Macduff that he does not want to be king. He reasons that the peasants of Scotland don't think that Macbeth killed Duncan, and that if Malcolm kills Macbeth and takes over power, the people may not accept his authority. He fears that he is not capable of ruling Scotland, and that the country might be better off with Macduff as king. He lists his faults, hoping that Macduff will agree to take the throne. Malcolm says he is a lady's man and is obsessed with money, so having power might corrupt him. However, it later becomes clear that he was simply making excuses as to why he would not be suited for a position when, in reality, Malcolm would have been fine in that position, but it was one that he did not want.

At the end of Act V, after Macbeth is killed, Malcolm becomes king of Scotland. When Macduff was talking about Malcolm becoming King in Act IV, Malcolm had no interest in being King. But, after Macbeth's death, Malcolm realized that becoming King was such an honor and that he wanted to prove that he would never be anything like Macbeth.


 * Key Quotes:**

//"What will you do? Let's not consort with them. To show an unfelt sorrow is an office which the false man does easy. I'll to England." "Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell." "Let's make us medicines of our great revenge to cure this deadly grief." "Let us seek out some desolate shade and there weep our sad bosoms empty." "We shall not spend a large expense of time before we reckon with your several loves and make us even with you." "Nothing in his life Became him like the leaving it." //