Idea 25: Learn the common frame of reference
The king-becoming graces,
As justice, verity, temperance, stableness,
Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,
Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude.
William Shakespeare, Macbeth
In his plays Shakespeare explored leadership in its contemporary form, kingship. In those days, as his sovereign Queen Elizabeth I acknowledged, kings were expected to lead from the front in battle.
For Shakespeare the king who exemplified these ‘king-becoming graces’ â or leadership qualities â was Henry VI, victor at the battle of Agincourt and conqueror of most of France. The secret of his success, Shakespeare hinted, was the rapport he established with the youths of London, his future soldiers, while he was not yet ...
