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The witches influence on macbeth
The tragic flaw of macbeth and its tragic consequences
Impact of the witches on macbeth
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The Tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is a tale of a man and his un-bridled ambition, set in ancient Scotland. Macbeth is a nobleman of the king of Scotland, Duncan, who is in mid-war with Norway. Macbeth and his fellow general Banquo encounter three witches. The witches tell the pair that Macbeth will be king, and Banquo’s children will also be kings. Any person in their right mind would question information given to them by strangers, let alone witches, but for some reason these statements intrigue Macbeth. They temp Macbeth to do evil things such as treason, and worse, to kill. Although un-bridled ambition is his main tragic flaw, there is one more that plays a big role in his decisions and the outcome of the story; Macbeth is far too impressionable.
To be impressionable is to be easily influenced because of a lack of critical ability. Although Macbeth is of some intelligence, he has a hard time thinking for himself and in this case, believing a credible source.
FIRST WITCH.
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
SECOND WITCH.
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
THIRD WITCH.
All hail, Macbeth, that shall be King hereafter!
BANQUO.
Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear
Things that do sound so fair? I’ th’ name of truth,
Are you fantastical, or that indeed
Which outwardly ye show?
(1.3.48-54).
These lines from the very beginning of the play between the three witches, Macbeth and Banquo are displaying the witches’ first evil idea to intentionally confuse Macbeth. The witches tell Macbeth some things that are true like the fact that he indeed is Thane of Glamis, but include some information that is not yet true. The witches digress to tell him he is also the...
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...in order to possess the crown. This is not entirely true. Although there is truth in this statement, Macbeth would not have committed a single crime in this play if it weren’t for the other figures whose words influenced, and drove him to do so. Macbeth did not act alone. He was manipulated by the witches and encouraged by his wife. It is because of his impressionable personality that he was convinced to kill his king, and fellow subjects.
In conclusion, if Macbeth was more headstrong in his scruples and his honored his position with integrity, he would have never been persuaded to do any of the horrible things he did. Macbeth was not an obstinate man; he was compliant with everything and rarely questioned what was asked of him. It wasn’t a lack of wisdom necessarily, but a lack of judgment, which created his impressionable flaw that ultimately leads to his demise.
Shakespeare created a character in Macbeth who is strongly influenced in his decision making throughout the drama of The Tragedy of Macbeth. This drama is a Tragedy, hence the title, and has a hero, in Macbeth, who has a downfall. Readers become aware of the aspects that lead up to this predicament. Macbeth’s downfall was contributed equally from Lady Macbeth, the three weird sisters, and Macbeth’s ambition.
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a fictional play written by English poet William Shakespeare. The play is set in eleventh century Scotland, during the reign of King James the first. Shakespeare evidently writes in this time period to describe the link between leaders and their supreme or ultimate power. The play was first performed in the year 1606, at the world famous Globe Theatre, and is considered one of the most profound and compelling tragedies ever told. The Tragedy of Macbeth tells the tale of a brave Scottish general named Macbeth and his ambitious desire to become king of Scotland. While he and another commander named Banquo return home from war they stumble into three hagged looking witches. The witches offer the men an enticing prophecy that leads to a more pivotal role found later in the play. Throughout the play Macbeth is seen confronting his own moral ambiguity to the heinous acts he must perform to get the position he most desires. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, [s]hakes so my single state of man” (Shakespeare 1.3.152-53). This uncertainty, present in the scenes of Duncan’s murder, the feast, and the witch’s final predictions each unfold the ambiguity needed to understand the basis of the work as a whole.
Consequently Macbeth’s decisions on how he let himself believe what he wanted to let his arrogance cloud his judgement, and he let all of his common sense out the window, along with his chance to remain king. This play and the characters in it teach us to not believe everything we hear and to not act hastily to get what we want in life without thinking of the
(Shakspeare 3.1.67-9). Seeing this choice of act, leads Macbeth’s blind ambition to do all he can, in order to remain where he is, even if he is ‘blind’ to what is going on and fails to truly understand the concept of his choices in killing Banquo, which only further deteriorates his mind because of his thirst for power, causing him to commit these murders, murders he must contain inside his head, bottled up and this continues to cause his suffering throughout Macbeth. First they gain confidence by making predictions that come true, then the underlying truth is seen through. In Act I, Scene 3 they refer to Macbeth as "Thane of Glamis," which he is, and as "Thane of Cawdor," which as far as he knows, he is not.
Macbeth only knows what the first witch is saying to be true, because he is already Thane of Glamis. However, he doesn't know what to think when the second and third witches say he will be Thane of Cawdor and soon after, king. Both the Thane of Cawdor and the king are still alive. At this point, Macbeth isn't sure if he can actually trust the witches because he doesn't know about what they have said. The witches then continue with their prophecies. They tell Banquo that, "thou shalt get kings, though thou be none" (I.iii.67). After telling Macbeth that he will be king, they tell Banquo that his sons will be king. Macbeth remembers that fact, and acts upon it later.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play centred around opposing forces trying to gain power in the succession for the throne of Scotland. Macbeth, in the beginning, is known to be a noble and strong willed man, who is ready to fight for his country. However, one may see that Macbeth has a darker side to him, he is power hungry and blood thirsty, and will not stop until he has secured his spot as King of Scotland. Though Macbeth may be a tyrant, he is very nave, gullible, and vulnerable.
“Macbeth” is an age-old tragedy by, William Shakespeare, that tells the story of the disastrous down fall of Scotland and it’s Kings. The protagonist, Macbeth, starts out as a thriving Thane in Scotland, but ends up destroying his own prosperity as well as Scotland’s. Certain witches who tell people their fate convince Macbeth that he will be King and that his dear friend Banquo’s children will be kings. In an effort to be sure his prophecy is true and with some encouragement from his rash wife, he kills King Duncan, the current king of Scotland. To continue on this path of destruction Macbeth, acts on impulse and has his friend Banquo killed, because he is afraid that he killed Duncan for someone else’s fortune. Throughout the play Macbeth’s degeneration continues until the tragic ending when the country turns against him and seizes his castle. Macbeth’s demise can be attributed to his abandoning his belief in fate for a need to prove his masculinity.
In essence, due to Macbeth’s lack of conviction, his avoidance of emotional conflict or discomfort, his inability to accept the consequences of his actions, and the evidence provided, one can conclude that his fatal flaw is a distinct lack of independence. When one is deprived of independent thought and action, as Macbeth found he was, one is bound to be the victim of others’ whims. The witches’ prophesy sparked his imagination, as they knew it would, and left him helpless against his wife’s greed and ambition. Thus, valiant soldier Macbeth is reduced to nothing more than a traitor by his less-than independent nature and the much stronger, much darker wills of those around him.
In the beginning of Act I, Macbeth is regarded by King Duncan and many others as a noble man, more specifically a “valiant cousin” and a “worthy gentlemen” due to his loyalty to the crown and courage in battle. As a reward for his courage and allegiance, Macbeth is to become the Thane of Cawdor in addition to his position as the Thane of Glamis. However, before notified of this “promotion,” Macbeth and Banquo meet with three witches who greet the men with prophecies regarding their futures. At this time, Macbeth is told he is to become Thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland in the future, but the witches also give Banquo a prophecy that his descendants are also to become kings. In line 78 of scene iii, Macbeth questions their strange knowledge and commands, “Speak, I charge you,” in order to learn more about his future. Catching his attention with news of such value, his natural reaction is to inquire for more information. This can be considered a spark of Macbeth’s tragic flaw because selfishness begins to arise when he demands t...
When Macbeth is first introduced to the audience, he is seen as a tough, trustworthy hero. He wins the battle and gains King Duncan’s honor and respect. This all lasts until his encounter with the witches. The witches terrorized and cursed people purely for their personal enjoyment. They came across Macbeth and could not pass this opportunity.
Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a play about an honest and brave Scottish general named Macbeth who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that he will be made Thane of Cawdor and one day King of Scotland. As the first prophecy comes true, Macbeth becomes consumed by ambition and greed leading him to murder King Duncan and taking over the throne. Afterwards he is filled with regretted and guilt yet continues on killing as a means to protect himself, losing sight of the honourable man he once was. Throughout the play Shakespeare uses many stylistic features and language techniques such as imagery, paradoxes and soliloquies to engage his readers, both those of his time and today, as well as highlighting important issues.
In Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth, Shakespeare creates the ruthless character Macbeth, who is willing to go beyond any measure in order to attain the power of being king, including murder, deceit, betrayal and overpowering the chain of being. Macbeth was first tempted by the idea of kingship when three witches presented him with their portent of Macbeth becoming the next King of Scotland. Ebullient, Macbeth, immediately informed his wife of the news and they both pondered the thought of having the power to rule all of Scotland. Lady Macbeth, a power seeker herself, promptly schemed a plan to kill King Duncan in order for her and her husband to rule, displaying her ready ambition for power. Macbeth’s thirst for power ate away at his conscience
This poor quality is also described in Machiavelli's “The Prince,” as he mentions, “The diverse interests of states and individuals, rather than the ideas they cited, drove their actions” (Machiavelli xxiv). In other words, the prince should take in the interests of his people, rather than just thinking about himself when they make any decision. Furthermore, Macbeth is overly confident when the Second Apparition tells him, “Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn / The power of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth” (Shakespeare 4.1.90-93). The Apparitions inform Macbeth that he will not be harmed by anyone born from a woman, which is essentially everybody, further ensuring his safety. This causes Macbeth to gain too much confidence, not worrying about anything even when the majority of Scotland, including Macduff, are against Macbeth. Finally, Macbeth’s lack of empathy and compassion to those close to him is seen when Macbeth receives news about his wife’s death. Seyton tells Macbeth, “The Queen, my lord, is dead” (5.5.19), and Macbeth simply responds back with, “She would have died
MacBeth - Disastrous Attributes Character or fate. Which of these two forces (external or internal) led to the downward fall of a great military hero and worthy Thane, Macbeth, turned evil and murderous when led astray by the prophecies of three old witches. Some people argue that Macbeth is the victim of fate, while others argue that his character decides his downfall. The argument for fate is strongly led by the actions of others, with Lady Macbeth being the prime influence on Macbeth.
Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his ambition and it consequentially leads to his downfall and ultimate demise. Macbeth is a tragic hero who is introduced in the the play as being well-liked and respected by the general and the people. He brings his death upon himself from this tragic flaw. His strengths turn into his weaknesses and his ambition drives him to the edge and sets himself up for his tragic death.