The Importance of Duncan's Murder in Macbeth In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the repercussions of Macbeth's murder of his king are many. Through themes that include imagery, soliloquies, atmosphere, and supernatural beings, Shakespeare reinforces the scope of Macbeth's crime. Most of these factors are connected to each other. One of the main ways in which the horror of murder is emphasized is through the Great Chain of Being. At the time this play was written, it was believed that there was a hierarchy in the universe, with God at the top, then the angels, then the king, then man, and finally the animals. This meant that the King was God's representative on earth, and therefore if a rebel attacked the King, he would be seen as attacking and rebelling against God. This is seen in act one, scene two, when the lord of Cawdor he rebels against King Duncan, where the sergeant says, “Devastating storms and terrible thunders are unleashed” (L.26). This stormy weather symbolizes God's wrath at the attack of his representative of Scotland. The darkness throughout the show (all but two scenes are set in darkness) shows how the night is strangling the land, representing God's anger at the events that occurred in Scotland. The “Dark Night strangles” (Act Two, Scene Four, Line Seven) the earth, showing God's general hold on the world. The king at that time had absolute monarchy (power of life and death over everyone in his kingdom). The belief was that God gave special powers to all kings, such as that of healing, which Malcolm identifies as Edward the Confessor (the king of England) in act four, scene three – “He cures… the healing blessing. .. has a power heavenly gift of prophecy” (L.152-157). Shakespeare later uses Edwa......center of the sheet......elm. Criticism of Shakespeare's tragedies of dramatic art and literature. London: AMS Press, Inc., 1965.Shakespeare, William. Tragedy of Macbeth. Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981.TW Shakespeare, The Critical Heritage vol. Gary. Witches and Jesuits. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. Epstein, Norrie, The Friendly Shakepeare, New York, Viking Publishing, 1993. Harbage, Alfred, Macbeth, Middlesex England, Penguin Publishing, 1956. Magill, Masterplots- Volume 6 , New Jersey, Salem Press, 1949. Staunten, Howard, The Complete Illustrated Shakespeare, New York, Park Lane Publishing, 1979.