Macbeth’s Demise: What or Who Most Influenced It?

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In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth struggles with gaining power through murderous ways. Then he struggles with trying to keep power, by using more murderous tactics against his own friends and strangers. First, in order to gain power, he kills Duncan, the king and his friend. After this, in order to try to destroy any suspicion about Macbeth’s murder of Duncan, Macbeth then kills his best friend Banquo and attempts to kill Banquo's son, Fleance. Then he eventually gets killed in the end when he is found out to be the murderer by Macduff, whose wife and son are killed by Macbeth. The main influence to do these murdering deeds is the prophecy. The prophecy foretold Macbeth’s actions, in order to rise to become the king of Scotland. But it also foretold that Banquo’s son would be the king after Macbeth. The people who told Macbeth the prophecy was the Three Witches. This is why in Macbeth, the greatest influence to Macbeth's demise is the Three Witches. They told Macbeth the prophecy which drove him to fulfill it, they then fed him false hope later on which, in turn caused him to not prepare to fight when Macduff and his army came to kill him.

The Three Witches told Macbeth the prophecy which then drove him to fulfill it. The Three Witches can see into the future. They abuse this power by giving Macbeth information for a prophecy that involves Macbeth becoming king. This drove him to want to fulfill it, by all means necessary. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is walking with Banquo when they meet the Three Witches for the first time. Macbeth while walking with Banquo stumble upon the Three Witches chanting

“All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!

All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!

All hail...

... middle of paper ...

...uld not be known to him, had the Three Witches not told him of it in the first place. Since the prophecy can not make others hear it by itself, the Three Witches made Macbeth hear it.

In conclusion, there are many minors causes of Macbeth’s ultimate demise. The prophecy can be argued to be his demise, since it influenced him to kill because he knew it. But in the end the Three Witches supplied Macbeth with the prophecy when they were not supposed to. They intentionally wanted to interfere in his life, and influence his actions. Then after they influence his initial actions, they influence his last actions by speaking his future in riddles so that he is made not to prepare to fight against his enemies when they descend upon his castle. In the end, the Three Witches are the greatest influence to the demise of Macbeth.

Works Cited

Macbeth, William Shakespeare

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