usurpers cursed head." – Macduff, 5.8 54–55). Malcolm takes over as king and notes that order has been restored and that his intentions are good ("by the grace of Grace We will perform in measure, time, and place:" – Malcolm, Act 5.8 72–73). He invites everyone to his coronation. Critical comments Sylvan Barnet described Malcolm as "chaste, trustworthy, and patriotic". As the natural heir to the throne, Malcolm is Macbeth's foremost rival. He and his allies are "God's soldiers" and their eventual victory marks a restoration of moral order according to Barnet. After deposing Macbeth and resuming his rightful place, Malcolm delivers the final words of the play as a speech contrasting himself and the former tyrant. During his final speech, he grants earldoms to Macduff and others, while reclaiming his birthright. The ending of Macbeth is viewed by some reviewers as failing to meet expectations, theorized to be due to it being anti-climactic because Macbeth is killed by Macduff, rather than Malcolm or Fleance, who are perceived to have greater reasons to seek vengeance. Notes References External links Macbeth: Folio Version Macbeth: Full-text online Literary characters introduced in 1603 Male Shakespearean characters Characters in Macbeth Fictional Scottish people Fictional princes Fictional characters based on real people