Donalbain

Family: Scottish court · Role: royal son · First appears: Macbeth · Act I, Scene IV

At the Scottish court, Duncan names Malcolm, his eldest son, Prince of Cumberland, establishing him as heir; this makes Malcolm Donalbain’s brother and fellow royal son. In Act II, Donalbain and Malcolm learn that their father has been murdered. Donalbain chooses flight for safety—“To Ireland, I.”—while Malcolm also flees, and their escape places suspicion for Duncan’s murder upon them.

By Act III, Donalbain and Macbeth are enemies. It is argued that Macbeth would punish Duncan’s sons if he had them under his control, since they are accused of killing their father; the same account presents Macbeth as having killed the drunken, sleeping men blamed for the murder.

Relationship record

Life events

• Malcolm and Donalbain learn that their father Duncan has been murdered.(Macbeth · Act II, Scene III)
  • With: Malcolm
  • “Your royal father’s murder’d.”
• Donalbain decides to flee to Ireland for safety.(Macbeth · Act II, Scene III · 📍 Ireland)
  • “To Ireland, I.”
• Malcolm and Donalbain flee, placing suspicion for Duncan’s murder upon them.(Macbeth · Act II, Scene IV)
  • With: Malcolm
  • “Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s two sons, Are stol’n away and fled; which puts upon them Suspicion of the deed.”

Macbeth · Act I, Scene IV

• parent: Duncan “Sons, kinsmen, thanes, / And you whose places are the nearest, know, / We will establish our estate upon / Our eldest, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter / The Prince of Cumberland”
• siblings with Malcolm “Sons, kinsmen, thanes, / And you whose places are the nearest, know, / We will establish our estate upon / Our eldest, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter / The Prince of Cumberland”

Macbeth · Act II, Scene III

• siblings with Malcolm “To Ireland, I. Our separated fortune Shall keep us both the safer. Where we are, There’s daggers in men’s smiles: the near in blood, The nearer bloody.”
• parent: Duncan “Your royal father’s murder’d.”

Macbeth · Act II, Scene IV

• parent: Duncan “Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s two sons,”
• siblings with Malcolm “Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s two sons,”

Macbeth · Act III, Scene VI

• parent: Duncan “The gracious Duncan Was pitied of Macbeth:—marry, he was dead:— And the right valiant Banquo walk’d too late; Whom, you may say, if’t please you, Fleance kill’d, For Fleance fled. Men must not walk too late. Who cannot want the thought, how monstrous It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain To kill their gracious father? damned fact!”
• siblings with Malcolm “Who cannot want the thought, how monstrous It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain To kill their gracious father? damned fact!”
• enemies with Macbeth “Who cannot want the thought, how monstrous It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain To kill their gracious father? damned fact! How it did grieve Macbeth! did he not straight, In pious rage, the two delinquents tear That were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep? Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too; For ’twould have anger’d any heart alive, To hear the men deny’t. So that, I say, He has borne all things well: and I do think, That had he Duncan’s sons under his key (As, and’t please heaven, he shall not) they should find What ’twere to kill a father; so should Fleance.”

Macbeth · Act V, Scene II

• siblings with Malcolm “Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother?”

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