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GCSE English Literature · key term
The supposed ability of a monarch to heal disease by touching a sufferer, traditionally associated in England with Edward the Confessor.
Used by Edexcel and Eduqas
Paper 1
Revise: Duncan and MalcolmThis reflects the tradition of the royal touch, believed to cure the disease known as the king’s evil, or scrofula. Within the play, Edward’s healing is presented as miraculous.
A ceremony in which a monarch touched sufferers in the belief that royal power could heal disease, especially scrofula, known as the king's evil.
Part (b): connect context to the argument: divine right helps explain the significance of Duncan’s murder, while the royal touch associates legitimate kingship with healing.
Part (b): connect context directly to your argument: divine right helps explain the significance of Duncan's murder; the royal touch helps explain Edward's contrast with Macbeth.
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Component 1
The historical practice of a monarch touching sick people in the belief that royal, divinely granted power could heal them.
Revise: Act 4The brief account of the English king Edward’s royal touch reinforces this contrast in kingship. Malcolm presents his healing as holy and benevolent: Edward’s hand heals, while Macbeth’s “hand” carries out destructive impulses. Beside descriptions of bleeding Scotland, the episode suggests that a rightful ruler should restore the people rather than injure them.
The supposed ability of a monarch to cure illness by touching a sufferer, traditionally understood as a gift from God.
