The Elizabethan Concept of the King Intro: Our actions define who we are. Who we are, defines our actions. This concept has been common to man throughout history, and the Elizabethans are no exception. They applied this statement to their kings in an attempt to classify them as good or bad, strong or weak. In the play Macbeth, we notice many references to the characteristics of a good king. The Elizabethan view was that if …showed first 75 words of 716 total…

…showed last 75 words of 716 total…he is invincible (V, VIII, 11) Conclusion: Through these examples we have learned that a weak king will be killed. We have learned that a good king must possess certain characteristics such as physical and emotional strength, good judgement, intelligence, confidence and rational thinking. The Elizabethans classified their kings according to weak or strong, good or evil, and the play Macbeth revealed that the Elizabethans believed that in order to survive, a king must be strong.