Macbeth Quote Analysis

Malcolm continues his self-accusation, now claiming to lack all the virtues expected of a good king.

The catalogue of 'king-becoming graces' reads like a political catechism—twelve virtues that constitute the ideal ruler. The phrase 'no relish of them' uses a taste metaphor (relish = flavor, enjoyment) to suggest Malcolm doesn't just lack these qualities but finds them positively distasteful. This is dramatic irony at work: the audience knows Malcolm is lying, so the detailed accuracy of his virtue-list actually proves he understands kingship perfectly, even as he pretends not to care.

Use this to argue that Malcolm's false confession is also a curriculum—by listing the king-becoming graces so precisely, Shakespeare gives the audience (and Macduff) the exact standard against which to measure Macbeth's failure and Malcolm's eventual fitness.