“William Shakespeare, often called the English national poet, is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time” (Bio.) The recurrence of the number three is an important concept in the play Macbeth. The real Macbeth took control over Scotland in 1040 when he killed his cousin King Duncan. William Shakespeare knew this important part of history and wanted to rewrite it into a play that would bring a lot of entertainment. Shakespeare stated, “Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall” (Moncur). In Macbeth and in past history someone had to be killed in order for Macbeth to gain control. “Shakespeare's characters present vivid impressions of human temperament that are timeless and universal” (Bio.) Shakespeare uses the number three in …show more content…
Macbeth by the three apparitions, the three main murders, and the three witches. The three apparitions were a very important part in the Macbeth play.
The first apparition was an armed head. The apparition stated, “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me: enough.” This statement warns Macbeth that he should beware Macduff. The bloody child was the second apparition. It stated, “Be bloody, bold, and resolute! Laugh to scorn, The pow’r of man, for none of woman born, Shall harm Macbeth.” This line tells Macbeth not to fear, no one born by women can kill him. The third apparition was a child wearing a crown and holding a tree. The apparition stated, “…Macbeth shall never vanquished be until, Great Birnam wood to high, Dunsinane hill, Shall come against him” (Wiggins 382). This quote stated no one can banish …show more content…
him. There were three main murders in the play Macbeth. King Duncan was the first person murdered. The play stated, “…When Duncan is asleep-Whereto the rather shall his days hard journey Soundly invite him-“ (Wiggins 338). Lady Macbeth pressured Macbeth into killing King Duncan. King Duncan was sleeping when Macbeth walked into his room and stabbed him. Banquo was the second person killed. “…That I to your assistance do make love, Masking the business from the common eye For sundry weighty reasons.” (Wiggins 364). Macbeth hired murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance because he felt he was an enemy to him. Macduff’s family was the third main murder committed. “…To crown my thoughts with acts be it thought and done: The castle of Macduff I will surprise” (Wiggins 384). Macbeth hired the murderers to kill Macduff’s family as well because Macbeth thought that Macduff was onto him and knew about the murders committed. The three witches play a vitally important role in the play Macbeth. From the start, the witches establish how important Macbeth is to their evil plot. The play states, “By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes: Open, locks, Whoever knocks!” (Wiggins 381). It was from that moment in the play that a bond was created between the witches and Macbeth. The witches gave Macbeth three apparitions, which became the downfall of Macbeth. The witches represent darkness as well as conflict. “Root of hemlock digged I’ th’ dark” (Wiggins 379). Whenever the witches are around there is always darkness or thunder. Shakespeare uses the number three in Macbeth by the three apparitions, the three main murders, and the three witches.
“The memory of Shakespeare survived long in theatrical circles, for his plays remained a major part of the repertory” (Brown). Shakespeare will remain an important poet in history for a very long time. The significance of the number three is that it is often connected with something good. People often say, ‘third time’s the charm.’ In Macbeth’s situation, that isn’t always the case. In Macbeth the number three portrays darkness and death. Things happen in three and something takes a turn for the worst. In earlier Egyptian time the number three was often connected to power. The Egyptian people stated, “The iris flower was a symbol of power in ancient Egypt” (Mystical Numbers). The iris flower was known for its three pedals. In the story Macbeth the number three signifies how his power rises and falls and how he becomes strong and
weak.
There is much speculation as to who the third murderer is who assisted in the slaying of Banquo. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and one of the Weird sisters are a few of the best candidates as to filling this role. Each of these three main characters has their own motive as to why they would want to join in on the assassination. Out of these three possibilities of filling this third murderer's role, all have reasons as to why they could or could not fill the position.
In Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, the third murderers identity is unknown and it is never revealed at the end of the play. But there are some clues throughout the story that suggests Lady Macbeth could be the unknown third murderer. Lady Macbeth could be the third murderer in Macbeth because she shows signs of wanting to be like a man, she is the one that influenced Macbeth to kill Duncan, and because she shows signs of extreme guilt later in the story. With these three pieces of evidence, Lady Macbeth is shown to be the third murderer in Macbeth.
Macbeth begins to have hallucinations and his imagination wanders as he thinks about the things he has done. At one time an apparition of a bloody child arises. “Apparition: Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! –
...two apparitions make Macbeth feel like his title as king is safe. He thinks this because Macbeth takes all of what the apparitions say literally and straightforward. Macbeth feels that it is impossible for Birnam wood to move towards the castle, this is ironic because the audience knows that the bark and branches from trees from Birnam wood have been used to camouflage the number of soldiers heading towards Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth does not think of it in this point of view, therefore making him feel very safe and confident about the war. The apparitions told warned Macbeth that Macduff is a threat to his title as king, and Macbeth took action by hiring murderers to kill Macduff’s whole family. Macbeth lies to the murderers and makes them believe that Macduff has been unfaithful to them just so that the murderers would go through with his plan.
The question remains unsolved, and the play is open to the reader's interpretation, but the fact remains that the Third Murderer is a mysterious character who shows up for one scene and is gone. No other information is known other than sheer speculation. But the fact remains; Mystery and suspense along with the other three elements mentioned make up for a great play. Macbeth truly is a literary masterpiece.
Hence, in Act I, Scene III, Shakespeare relies upon similes, repetition, and rhyme to portray the evil nature of the witches and their desires to ruin the characters’ destinies in his Macbeth.
Another influential power of the Weird Sisters was their ability to create visions and apparitions. Early in the murder scene of Duncan, Macbeth sees a bloody dagger and in a phantasmagoric state, remarks, "Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going, / And such an instrument I was to use,"(II, i, 51). Macbeth also states, "Witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings,"(II, i, 60). Both of these statements may suggest a supernatural force in the affair. The witches' powers also extend to the summoning of apparitions that foretell future events. The three apparitions tell Macbeth, "Beware the Thane of Fife,"(IV, i, 81), "none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth," (IV, i, 91), and "Macbeth shall never be vanquished be until / Great Birnham Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him,"(IV, i, 106). These visions and apparitions, as seen later on, have a profound effect on Macbeth's actions.
William Shakespeare's play Macbeth is a five-act drama that shows a clear example of how pride, greed, and power can alter a man's actions and personality. The taste of power blinds the story's main character, Macbeth. Sparked by Lady Macbeth, he becomes heartless and cruel as he kills anyone who is a threat to his power due to his paranoia of losing the throne. This fear ironically leads to his downfall and loss of the throne. The theme of the story is deceit and evil and how they affect a man's decisions. Critics pose interesting views concerning the identity and significance of the mysterious third murderer.
In this soliloquy, Macbeth mentions how becoming the king is pointless if he cannot pass down the crown to his son (Shakespeare, Act 3, Scene 1, 65-67). The weird witches foretold that Macbeth would become King, which he now believes, but they also told them how Banquo descendents will become Kings as well. This stirs anger in his heart because he killed Duncan to become king, and if his descendents will not become kings there is no reason to take the helm (Shakespeare, Act 3, Scene 1, 68). Now Macbeth feels horrible, and his animosity towards Banquo worsens. Macbeth mentions how this, “put rancours in the vessel of my peace”, and immediate distress on the killing of his dear friend Duncan for the future descendents of Banquo (Shakespeare,
How can anyone arbitrate if someone is good or evil? Is it by the person’s deeds or behavior? Numerous people pose to be something their not to deceive their peers. Never judge a book by its cover. Does one action define who someone is? In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the lead character Macbeth gallivants down a pernicious path that ends his life and destroys his identity. The three witches, Lady Macbeth, and the three apparitions led to his great downfall and demise.
...e murdered. When king Duncan thanks Macbeth for his heroic service in the battle he replies “Your highness a king cares for his people as a father cares for his children and the people represent the loyal children to the father (I, iv, 23-25). Later in the scene, Lady Macbeth shames her husband so he can continue with the plan of killing Duncan. To shame Macbeth, she calls him a coward, questions his manhood, and tells him that he should be as tough as she is, (1.7.54-59). The second apparition is a bloody child which shows Macbeth "The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth" (4.1.81). This shows that no man can harm Macbeth because everyman is born of a women except Macduff. He says that Macduff was born untimely and was ripped out of his womb . This was abnormal because being ripped out of your mothers womb is being born.
The bloody child assures Macbeth that “none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” (4.1.91). However, the bloody child represents the only person who can harm Macbeth: Macduff. Macduff was “from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped” (5.8.19-20) and fulfills the requirement the bloody child proclaims. The crowned child with the tree assures Macbeth that he will not be defeated until Great Birnam Wood marches to high Dunsinane Hill which is a theoretically impossible occurrence. The crowned child represents Malcolm, who will lead the march of the trees to Macbeth’s overthrow. Finally, eight kings and Banquo appear, reminding Macbeth of Banquo’s descendants becoming kings. Although Macbeth does not realize the full meaning, the apparitions prophesize Macbeth’s downfall by emphasizing the idea of children. Sometimes children are unsophisticated, like Duncan; at other times, children are unpredictably wise, with a greater understanding and meaning than one might expect. Similar to how Macbeth underestimates the power of the youth, Macbeth underestimates the meaning of the apparitions’ prophecies and gains a false sense of security. The apparitions predict the future impact of Macbeth’s failure to dispose of Malcolm, Donalbain, and
Act 4 scene 1 of Macbeth is when Macbeth goes back to the three witches and asks them to tell the future for him. The characters speaking are the second apparition, Macbeth, all three witches who talk simultaneously, and third apparition.Macbeth went to the witches to see if they can predict his fate. The witches had the three apparitions say prophecies to Macbeth. These prophecies will tell the fate of Macbeth. The literary devices that were used were elision , imagery, symbol, and metaphor.
The King of Scotland pays one last visit to the witches. Three apparitions appear displaying three different messages about his fate. The first image warns Macbeth of Macduff. The second relays the message that no one born of a woman can harm him. Finally, the third message tells Macbeth he will continue his reign of king until Birnam Forest moves to Dunsinane. The witches cause Macbeth to believe he is basically immortal. “Bring me no more reports. Let them fly all. / Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane / I cannot taint with fear” (Shakespeare V.III.1-3). He hardly protects himself against the 10,000 soldiers wanting to see his head on a pole.
The deliberately ambiguous apparitions play on Macbeth’s hubris and they make him feel so overconfident that he feels invincible and unstoppable. In his castle, Macbeth jokes that he will never fail “till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane” (V.iii.2) thinking that the apparition literally means that the forest will pick itself up and move to Dunsinane which he thinks is impossible despite all the supernatural events he has experienced. However, the forest does not move by itself but it does move to Dunsinane because of Malcolm’s ingenious strategy. As Malcolm approaches Macbeth’s castle with the English forces, he orders each soldier to cut off the branches of the trees of Birnam Wood to use as camouflage. This greatly contributes to Macbeth’s downfall since he was nowhere near ready for an invasion of the English forces. However, because of his hubris, he is still confident that he is unstoppable as he believes no one “borne a woman” (V.iii.6) can harm him. Unbeknown to him, Macduff was born through a caesarean section and thus not “borne” so much as “taken” from a woman. This lack of access to the entire truth sees Macbeth eventually