Malcolm (The True Tragedie of Macbeth)

Malcolm was a character in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth.

He first appeared in Act II Scene III though did not speak. Macduff called for him, as well as for Banquo and Donalbain, to wake up after discovering that the King of Scotland had been murdered. Malcolm and Macduff later raised an army in England in order to remove the King's successor, Macbeth, from the throne. Malcolm also featured during Act V Scene IV which was set in Great Birnam Wood. In an early draft of the play, Zoe was sent to help his forces succeed. Malcolm asked how and she suggested using the camouflage of the leaves and branches in the wood in response. At the end of the scene, he told her it would be done. Their forces were ultimately victorious with Macbeth "fight[ing] and los[ing]" due to not realising his men were outnumbered until it was too late, unpreparedness partly caused by not taking heed of the Weird Sisters' prophecy in Act IV that he would not be vanquished until Great Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane. (PROSE: The True Tragedie of Macbeth)

Malcolm also appeared in The Adventures of Macbeth's Head, a derivative play written by Francis Pearson in 1603. Similarly to Macbeth, his efforts to end the titular character's reign were successful. After the battle, Malcolm was crowned as the new King of Scotland. (PROSE: Managra)