In the play Macbeth, what are Macbeth's thoughts on social change?

Most people would agree that the leader (king) of a country should be concerned about improving the nation over which he presides. Often, people who run for president or aspire to a leadership position do so because they want to change something about the society. A good starting point to answering this question would be to think about why Macbeth wants to be King of Scotland and whether or not he is motivated by his desire to effect positive change in Scotland.

There is not much evidence that Macbeth wants to be King of Scotland in order to create positive change in the country. It seems that Macbeth's motives are purely selfish. His excessive ambition to become King and his greed for power eventually lead to his downfall. After Macbeth hears from the witches that he will rule Scotland one day, he acts almost immediately to put himself on the throne. Consequently, he doesn't really think about what he hopes to accomplish as the ruler of Scotland. Once Macbeth is crowned, he does nothing to improve the lives of Scottish people, and, in fact, many references in the play suggest that the country has gone quickly downhill with Macbeth at the helm. People are afraid, and Macbeth's unnatural act (murder of King Duncan) has created a ripple effect in the world around him such that nature and society are in complete turmoil. Macbeth has a nobleman (Banquo) and the family of another thane (Macduff) killed to maintain his power. His goal simply seems to be to gain and keep power. There is no evidence that he wants to effect social change (at least not a positive one) in Scotland.

Malcolm, the rightful heir to Duncan's throne, is the foil to Macbeth. In Act IV, it is established that Malcolm is a righteous person who also has genuine intentions to make Scotland a great country again. After his father's murder, Malcolm flees to England, where he has been protected and is loved by the monarch there. Because he feels a duty to his home country, though, Malcolm, with help from England and other defected Scottish nobles like Macduff, declares war on Macbeth and succeeds in gaining the throne. At the close of the play, the characters are hopeful that Malcolm's reign will restore hope and prosperity to Scotland.