In William Shakespeares play Macbeth, a thane is a nobleman who owns a portion of the land and serves the king with military service. The title character, Macbeth, is introduced as the Thane of Glamis, which he inherited from his father Sinel, and is later rewarded by King Duncan with the title of Thane of Cawdor). The Thanes in Macbeth are all noblemen beneath an elected kingship. In total, there are eight Thanes featured in the play, each governing a particular region of Scotland. The title of Thane of Cawdor was given to Macbeth after the previous Thane of Cawdor was captured and executed for treason against King Duncan.