What does Act I, Scene 2, tell us about Macbeth?

In act 1, scene 2, the Captain describes to King Duncan how Macbeth bravely fought and defeated Macdonwald and his Irish soldiers in a bloody battle. The Captain tells Duncan that Macbeth split Macdonwald from his navel to his jawbone before decapitating and sticking his enemy's head on the castle walls. King Duncan refers to Macbeth as his "valiant cousin" and a "Worthy gentleman" after listening to Macbeth's exploits on the battlefield. The Captain proceeds to elaborate on how Macbeth and Banquo courageously went on to defeat the Norwegian forces after their victory over Macdonwald. Ross then enters the scene and corroborates the Captain's story regarding Macbeth's victory over the Norwegian king. King Duncan then refers to Macbeth as a noble individual and announces that Macbeth will be given the title Thane of Cawdor. This scene portrays Macbeth in a positive light and depicts him as an accomplished, loyal soldier, who is revered and admired by King Duncan. Macbeth is a valiant soldier, who courageously challenges and defeats his enemies on the battlefield. As a tragic hero, it is important to depict Macbeth's position of nobility and greatness before illustrating how his tragic flaw leads to his demise.

This particular scene shows us what other characters think about Macbeth at the beginning of the story. The wounded captain calls him "brave Macbeth" and details Macbeth's courageous, though brutal, behavior during the two battles in which he fights (line 18). He is relentless and swift, like "Valor's minion," or the chosen darling of valor or courage (line 21). Further, when Duncan hears the captain's report, he cries, "O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!" This tells us Macbeth is actually related to the king and that the king thinks of him incredibly highly (line 26). In fact, Duncan thinks so well of Macbeth that he decides to give him an additional title, the Thane of Cawdor, and he tells the same men to execute the old Thane of Cawdor for treason and inform Macbeth of his new title. This scene makes it clear that everyone thinks highly of Macbeth, he is beloved by his king, and he seems to be quite loyal to the crown.