In Macbeth, Shakespeare recurrently highlights the fact that appearances may deceive one’s perception of reality. The play opens with the foreboding image of the Witches as they deem the nature of humans “fair is foul, and foul is fair” (I. i. 12), a scene which hauntingly foreshadows the moral confusion that unfolds throughout the play. Characters in Macbeth often disguise their true motives or fall victim to the appearances of others, for Lady Macbeth instructs Macbeth before killing Duncan to hide Macbeth’s schemes by “look[ing] like the innocent flower” (I. v. 76-77), while secretly harboring malicious intentions of “the serpent underneath” (I. v. 78). Indeed, over the course of the play, Shakespeare intricately weaves this motif of ambiguity into the rule of the three kings of Scotland. Though Duncan embodies compassion in the treatment of his people, a quality that largely constitutes a good leader, his inability to see beyond the beguiling appearances of others leads to his downfall and subsequent chaos. Shakespeare criticizes the tyranny of Macbeth’s leadership as the temptation of prophecies deceives him by allowing greed to overtake his sensibilities. Ultimately, through comparing the leadership styles of different kings, the play suggests that under the seemingly stable leadership of loyal Malcolm, Scotland’s future still remains subject to the cycle of violence as in the start of the play due to inevitable flaws of human nature. 

King Duncan is a compassionate and optimistic leader, but his ingenuous nature sets him up as an ineffective leader. Duncan’s love and devotion to his subjects are unwavering, for after Macbeth brings him victory, Duncan gladly “plants” (I. iv. 32) a seed of greatness in Macbeth and promises that he himself “will labor / To make [Macbeth] full of growing” (I. iv. 32-33). Duncan also possesses the ability to perceive goodness in everything, for when he arrives at Macbeth’s castle, he falls victim to the castle’s paradise-like facade, and his cheerful commentary on the “pleasant seat” (I. vi. 87) of the castle and the “nimble[ness] and sweet[ness]” (I. vi. 88) of the air contrasts sharply with alert Banquo’s keen observations that the castle is ominously “wooing” (I. vi. 7). Furthermore, the people of Scotland widely acknowledge Duncan as a benevolent ruler whose sympathy elevates his status among his people that even murderous Lady Macbeth hesitates to destroy this symbol of pureness, as his face that “resemble[s] [her] father as he slept” (II. ii. 16-17) is able to arouse mercy even from the cold depths of Lady Macbeth’s stony heart. However, Duncan’s susceptibility to the deception of appearances leads to his demise and destruction of order in Scotland. Duncan’s overly compassionate nature makes him oblivious to the threats posed by those around him, as the former Thane of Cawdor betrays Duncan even though the Thane is one “on whom [Duncan] built an absolute trust” (I. iv. 15-16), indicating that Duncan does not possess the “art to find the mind’s construction in the face” (I. iv. 13-14). Similarly, Duncan’s naive ignorance of the depth of Macbeth’s ambition proves a fatal weakness for himself, as even when Macbeth plots the murder of Duncan, Duncan blindly “continue[s] [his] graces towards [Macbeth]” (I. vi. 38), and in doing so “conduct[ing]” (I. vi. 37) himself to his death. Shakespeare suggests that chaos and instability brood beneath the seemingly stable leadership of Duncan through the behavior of Duncan’s horses, as they “the minions of their race” (II. iv. 19) who metaphorically symbolize the initial admirable state of Scotland “[turn] wild in nature” (II. iv. 20) after the death of Duncan, mirroring the turmoil that unleashes and ravages through Scotland in the aftermath of Duncan’s demise. In conclusion, Duncan’s kindness makes him a righteous leader, but his overflowing humanity results in naivety that leads to his country’s downfall, suggesting that virtue alone is not sufficient to be a successful leader. 

While Duncan’s benevolence leads to his defeat, Macbeth recklessly wields power to his own benefits, and therefore, Shakespeare condemns his ruthlessly self-centered style of leadership. Macbeth interprets the Witches prophecy as a license to pursue his ambitions without ethical constraints, for he mocks traditional human authority, believing himself to be superior to them as he turns “bloody, bold, and resolute” (IV. i. 81) and “laugh[s] to scorn / The power of man” (IV. i. 81-82). Macbeth loses his rationality to overconfidence, leading him to believe that he can triumph over invincible fate itself, as in the start of the play, the Captain eulogizes Macbeth’s gallant victories on the battlefield as an act of “disdaining fortune” (I. ii. 17), but when Macbeth later faces the prophecy that will “[wrench]” (III. i. 68) away his position as king, he takes an imprudent step further by declaring that he shall literally “champion” (III. i. 77) fate “to th’ utterance” (III. i. 77). Eventually, the thirst for power consumes Macbeth’s little remainder of humanity, as he coldly vows to make “the very firstlings of [his] heart” (IV. i. 167) the “firstlings of [his] hand” (IV. i. 168), even if it means mercilessly killing the innocent and “unfortunate souls” (IV. i. 173) who pose as an obstacle to his inhumane pursuit of domination. Shakespeare expresses disapproval of Macbeth’s selfish and impulsive leadership style through Macbeth’s unsuccessful attempts to provide a peaceful future for Scotland. Shakespeare juxtaposes Macbeth and King Edward, both of whom experience aid from the supernatural, to illustrate Macbeth’s failure to bring good to his country as king, for while King Edward utilizes his “heavenly gift of prophecy” (IV. iii. 179) to cure his people’s afflictions, making him “full of grace” (IV. iii. 181), Macbeth’s oppressive manipulation of his prophecy to consolidate power stirs hatred so that his “sole name blisters [the people’s] tongues” (IV. iii. 14). Shakespeare further indicates the fractiousness of Macbeth’s rule through the people’s disdain, as contrary to the “giant’s robe” (V. ii. 21) of grand titles that Macbeth holds, the people see him as only a morally weak “dwarfish thief” (V. ii. 22) who ascends through the ruin of others, so that “those he commands move only in command, nothing in love” (V. ii. 19-20). Though Macbeth has great ambitions, he ultimately achieves nothing, as in the Porter’s speech to Macbeth, the drinks serve as a potent metaphor to the Witches, who, akin to alcohol, “equivocate” (II. iii. 36) and plant alluring dreams in Macbeth’s mind, provoking an insatiable hunger for power, but leaving him with hollow achievements by “[taking] away the performance” (II. iii. 31-32). In conclusion, as Macbeth’s actual power beneath his title as King of Scotland is brittly built upon an unstable foundation of bloodshed and oppression, Shakespeare connotes that adequate leadership lies in shrewdness and genuine affection for the people. 

In contrast to Macbeth’s failure as a leader due to his selfish desires and unruliness, Malcolm’s motivation as a leader stems from his unwavering loyalty to his country, but Shakespeare ultimately connotes that even under the stable rule of Malcolm, intrinsic flaws of humanity will perpetuate tyrannical rule. A genuine desire to safeguard the future of his home country drives Malcom’s rational mindset, as he sincerely proclaims when testing Macduff’s loyalty that Malcolm commits to confront wrongdoings and prudently seeks opportune times to “redress” (IV. iii. 11) what he can when he “find[s] the time to friend” (IV. iii. 12). Malcolm’s sense of responsibility for his country surpasses all things, even sentiment, as when he hears of the murder of Macduff’s family, rather than succumbing to emotion alongside Macduff, Malcolm urges him to “dispute [his grief] like a man” (IV. iii. 259) and prioritize the future of Scotland by channeling his anguish into action, wielding revenge as a “[medicine]” (IV. iii. 253) in order “to cure this deadly grief” (IV. iii. 254). Malcolm’s profound love for his country propels him to eradicate the vestiges of Macbeth’s oppressive regime, showing fervent determination to liberate the people from fear and restore unity as he declares wholeheartedly that “what [Malcolm is] truly, is thine and [his] poor country’s to command” (IV. iii. 150-151). However, though Malcolm seems to have secured a prosperous future for Scotland, Shakespeare connotes that this country has not escaped its vicious cycle. In the end of the play, though it appears that Malcolm’s reign will finally pave a bright future for Scotland, Shakespeare suggests that Malcolm’s righteousness in his rule may not usher in brilliance, for in this unjust world, “to do harm / Is often laudable” (IV. ii. 83-84), while ironically, “to do good sometime / Accounted dangerous folly” (IV. ii. 84-85). The chant of the people in celebration of Malcolm’s triumph over Macbeth implies that Scotland is stuck in a cycle of violence, for beneath the glamorous felicity, this cheer of “hail, King of Scotland!” (V. viii. 71)) heralds destruction, as it ominously echoes back to the Witches’ prophecy when they say, “all hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (I. iii. 53), a blessing which marks the commencement of a period of darkness. Moreover, Malcolm’s restoration of power during his last soliloquy acts as a catalyst for corruption that implies a recurrence of history, since even seemingly virtuous people can fall victim to the enticement of power, for Macbeth’s despotic rule begins as a result of the power struggle unleashed when Duncan misjudges Macbeth and bestows “signs of nobleness” to “all deservers” (I. iv. 48) in his opinion. Despite Malcolm’s belief that he is in control by bestowing nobility, the manipulation of supernatural beings throughout the play underscores a sense of inevitable destiny, for fate seems to condemn Scotland to a future plagued with violence, and therefore, the characters in this play, including Malcolm, are only puppets of fate who attempt to alter the way of life but ultimately cannot change destiny, and so “day to day” (V. v. 23), they “[strut] and [fret their hour] upon the stage” (V. v. 28) of life in vain. In conclusion, the ominous signs beneath Malcolm’s dedicated rule imply that fate dominates over all so that no amount of leadership can bring peace to Scotland.

Thus, the juxtaposition of compassion and naivety in Duncan’s rule highlights the precarious balance of discernment and benevolence in leadership, emphasizing the disastrous consequences of failing to navigate the deep complexities of human nature. Meanwhile, Macbeth’s portrayal as a failed leader exposes the corrupting influence of power, serving as a caution to the dangers of unchecked ambition. In essence, the three respective kings of Scotland, though with uniquely varying strengths and flaws, all ultimately fail to bring prosperity to the future of Scotland, and Shakespeare uses this point to suggest that under this current style of autocratic government, Scotland will never escape the relentless grip of its tragic fate. In Macbeth, one may observe the fact that the reign of all three kings, whether virtuous or tyrannous, stems from violence. Even Malcolm, whom the people look upon as a savior that embodies an ideal balance of morality and ambition, commences his rule with the beheading of Macbeth. Therefore, Shakespeare suggests that there ultimately is no perfect leader, as in the current structure of government based on dictatorship, humanity will inevitably succumb to the allure of human nature’s intrinsic desire, for “there are liars and swearers enough to beat the honest men and hang them up” (IV. ii. 62-64) so that no single ruler, however flawless they may seem as an individual, will be able to prevent Scotland from its dire fate. Humanity, with its inherent flaws and desires, is the fate that casts an inescapable shadow over Scotland, subtly influencing and dictating the course of its destiny like an unseen hand. Until Scotland embraces a new system of government that transcends the trappings of autocracy and keeps power under check, the nation forever remains ensnared in the shackles of tragic narrative of its own making.