Although often the weight of a family legacy can do good—Gruadh and Macbeth are both made more ambitious by their heritages—Duncan is burdened by the memory of his grandfather and the machinations of his father, who remains alive. Duncan was not chosen because he was a good king, but merely because his grandfather and father installed him. More than ever, Macbeth’s ambitions drive him towards the crown, which he fears Duncan will corrupt.