In which play does King Duncan appear?

In which play does King Duncan appear? Macbeth. King Duncan is the benevolent but politically vulnerable ruler whose murder sets Shakespeare’s tragedy in motion.

Duncan is King of Scotland when Macbeth and Banquo return from battle. After hearing the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth begins imagining the possibility of becoming king. Duncan rewards Macbeth with the title Thane of Cawdor and later visits Macbeth’s castle at Inverness, unaware that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are plotting against him.

Lady Macbeth urges her husband to act, and Macbeth murders Duncan while he sleeps. The killing is blamed on Duncan’s guards, but suspicion and guilt spread through the court. Macbeth then seizes the crown, and the rest of the play follows the violence required to defend his usurpation.

Duncan is sometimes confused with Macbeth because both are kings during the story. They are not the same character: Duncan rules first, while Macbeth becomes king after Duncan’s assassination. The historical Duncan was also a real eleventh-century Scottish king, although Shakespeare significantly reshaped the history for drama.