One of the smaller, yet important, characters is King Duncan. Duncan is an intelligent, generous, trusting and simply, a good king. Especially his goodness contributed to the doubt of Macbeth to actually kill the king. Complimenting his companions for all their nobleness demonstrates Duncan's love to the people around him and effects their compassion for him. "O valiant cousin! Worthy gentlemen!" (Act I, Scene 2) is Duncan's response to someone he barely knows and just explains …showed first 75 words of 1236 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1236 total…ward in thine own esteem" (Act I Scene 7) or that he becomes king. If Lady Macbeth would not continue to push him and give him orders, he would probably not have done the job without big mistakes. Even after the "deed" Lady Macbeth needs to calm him down. She needs to tell him that he should "consider it not so deeply" (Act II Scene 2) when he was not able to pronounce the word "amen".