Ross

Family: Scotland · Role: Thane of Ross · First appears: Macbeth · Act I, Scene II

Ross, Thane of Ross in Scotland, stands with Duncan at Saint Colme’s Inch as Norway’s king agrees to pay ten thousand dollars, and he shares Duncan’s fealty, greeting him, “God save the King!” When Duncan orders the Thane of Cawdor’s execution, Ross is present; in Act I, Scene III, he announces to Macbeth that the title has been granted to him. There, Ross also calls Banquo and Angus his cousins and counts Macbeth among his friends.

By Act II, Scene IV, Ross is cousin to Macduff, and in Act III, Scene IV, he shows fealty to Macbeth by urging him to attend with his royal company. At Macbeth’s banquet, Ross is among those ordered to leave at once. In Act IV, Scene II, he tells his cousin Lady Macduff that Macduff is noble, wise, and judicious, while revealing that Macduff’s castle has been seized and his wife, children, and servants slaughtered; he departs with a blessing for her: “My pretty cousin, Blessing upon you!”

In Act V, Scene IV, Ross marches as an ally with Malcolm, Siward, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, and Lennox, and is also Malcolm’s cousin.

Relationship record

Life events

• Norway’s king seeks terms and agrees to pay ten thousand dollars.(Macbeth · Act I, Scene II · 📍 Saint Colme’s Inch)
  • With: Duncan
  • “That now Sweno, the Norways’ king, craves composition; Nor would we deign him burial of his men Till he disbursed at Saint Colme’s Inch Ten thousand dollars to our general use.”
• Duncan orders the Thane of Cawdor’s execution.(Macbeth · Act I, Scene II)
  • With: Duncan
  • “No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death”
• Ross announces that Macbeth has been granted the title Thane of Cawdor.(Macbeth · Act I, Scene III)
  • With: Macbeth
  • “And, for an earnest of a greater honour, He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor: In which addition, hail, most worthy thane, For it is thine.”
• Lady Macbeth ends the banquet and orders the assembled guests to leave immediately.(Macbeth · Act III, Scene IV)
  • With: Macbeth Lady Macbeth Lennox
  • “At once, good night:— Stand not upon the order of your going, But go at once.”
• Ross reveals that Macduff’s castle was seized and his wife, children, and servants were slaughtered.(Macbeth · Act IV, Scene III)
  • With: Macduff
  • “Your castle is surpris’d; your wife and babes Savagely slaughter’d.”

Macbeth · Act I, Scene II

• liege: Duncan “God save the King!”

Macbeth · Act I, Scene III

• cousins with Banquo “Cousins, a word, I pray you.”
• cousins with Angus “Cousins, a word, I pray you.”
• friends with Macbeth “Till then, enough.—Come, friends.”

Macbeth · Act II, Scene IV

• cousins with Macduff “No, cousin, I’ll to Fife.”

Macbeth · Act III, Scene IV

• liege: Macbeth “His absence, sir, / Lays blame upon his promise. Please’t your Highness / To grace us with your royal company?”

Macbeth · Act IV, Scene II

• cousins with Lady Macduff (Ross explicitly addresses Lady Macduff as his cousin.) “My dearest coz, I pray you, school yourself: but, for your husband, He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows The fits o’ th’ season. I dare not speak much further: But cruel are the times, when we are traitors, And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour From what we fear, yet know not what we fear, But float upon a wild and violent sea Each way and move—I take my leave of you: Shall not be long but I’ll be here again. Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward To what they were before.—My pretty cousin, Blessing upon you!”

Macbeth · Act IV, Scene III

• cousins with Macduff “My ever-gentle cousin, welcome hither.”

Macbeth · Act V, Scene IV

• allies with Malcolm “Enter, with drum and colours Malcolm, old Siward and his Son, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross and Soldiers, marching.”
• allies with Siward “Enter, with drum and colours Malcolm, old Siward and his Son, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross and Soldiers, marching.”
• allies with Macduff “Enter, with drum and colours Malcolm, old Siward and his Son, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross and Soldiers, marching.”
• allies with Menteith “Enter, with drum and colours Malcolm, old Siward and his Son, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross and Soldiers, marching.”
• allies with Caithness “Enter, with drum and colours Malcolm, old Siward and his Son, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross and Soldiers, marching.”
• allies with Angus “Enter, with drum and colours Malcolm, old Siward and his Son, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross and Soldiers, marching.”
• allies with Lennox “Enter, with drum and colours Malcolm, old Siward and his Son, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross and Soldiers, marching.”
• cousins with Malcolm “Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand”

⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →

Extracted from the original text of Shakespeare's Tragedies. Made with Rho MD.