What are the bad qualities of Malcolm in Macbeth?

King 's
sonis portrayed in a positive light throughout Shakespeare's . After his
father's assassination, Malcolm flees the country and travels to England, where he petitions
King Edward for help and raises an army to defeat . One could argue that Malcolm's decision to
flee the country instead of conducting an investigation is cowardly. Malcolm could have
immediately challenged Macbeth's ascension to the throne and aligned himself with the Scottish
thanes to prevent Macbeth from usurping power. Malcolm could have also teamed up with his
brother to solve the murder and avenge their fathers death instead of fleeing the
country.

Although Malcolm's escape may come across as cowardly, it is
actually an intelligent move considering the threats that await him in Scotland. Another
potential flaw in Malcolm's character is depicted in act 4, scene 3, during his interaction with
. After Macduff receives the horrible news that his entire family has been slaughtered, Malcolm
seems to lack sensitivity and perspective. Instead of sympathizing with Macduff and
acknowledging his grief, Malcolm instructs him to "Dispute it like a man" (line
226).

Macduff responds by saying that he will eventually seek revenge but
first must "feel it as a man." Malcolm continues to encourage Macduff to transform his
grief by saying,

Be this the whetstone of your sword. Let
grief Convert to anger. Blunt not the heart, enrage it". (Lines 235€“237)

Malcolm's refusal to acknowledge Macduff's grief reveals that he
lacks a certain amount of perspective. As such, Malcolm cannot appropriately sympathize with
Macduff, which may makes him come across as selfish, naive, and callous.