Macduff, Thane of Fife, a nobleman of Scotland

Macduff, Thane of Fife, plays an important role in Shakespeare's play.
We see how Macbeth used him as a friend and then accused him of being a traitor because of his loyalty to the late king's family. The play shows us how that poor man's loyalty was repaid in the slaughter of his family.
It was certainly encapsulating in all it's horror for a spellbound audience. It added to the depravity which our heroes were falling, act by act, into.

If that were the truth of it then so be it, but it wasn't, for Macduff was in reality not a Macbeth man. He was indeed a king's man but not King Macbeth. After the death of Duncan when Macbeth was consolidating his position, Macduff had every opportunity of staying on in his capacity as Thane of Fife but chose to follow Malcolm and Donalbain on their flight to Northumbria. Over and above, there are no records anywhere that I know of, where Macbeth ever harmed Macduff's family in any shape or form.

He no doubt fought alongside Malcolm just as he had Duncan and may well have been present at the final victory but history doesn't give Macduff the fame which Shakespeare attributes to him.

Comments please.