When Macbeth was young (around 15 years old) his cousins, Malcolm II and Gillecomgain, killed Macbeth’s father in 1020 because he was too close to the throne ("History - Historic Figures: Macbeth (c.1005 - 1057)."). Then, in 1032 Malcolm II ordered for Gillecomgain to be killed for killing Macbeth’s father. A little while afterwards, in 1034 Malcolm II died of natural causes and his son Duncan became king of Scotland; he poorly and tyrannically reigned for six years ("History - Historic Figures: Macbeth (c.1005 - …show more content…
The major example of this was in 1038, when southern Scotland was invaded, but the invaders had been successfully repelled, he had been encouraged to launch a counterattack against the invaders, Northumbria. However, he also wanted to invade the Orkney Islands, so he split his army in two and placed them at opposite ends of the country, against his advisors warnings ("History - Historic Figures: Macbeth (c.1005 - 1057)."). Duncan put his nephew, Modden, as the leader of the charge into the Orkney Islands, but Macbeth joined with the Orkneys and fought the army and won ("Macbeth."). Then Macbeth and the Orkneys went and finished off the other half of the army at the other end of the country and ended with Macbeth killing Duncan in a duel. This spanned until 1040. Macbeth then ascended to the throne