When writing the story of life, do not let anyone else hold the pen or wild things will transpire. Does man control his own destiny? In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the character Macbeth listens to three witches as they foreshadow his life. They first tell him that he will become King of Scotland, and this is when the immorality begins. One murder leads to another, and he spins himself into a web of paranoid chaos. He continues to go back to the witches to hear their prophecies about how his life will play out. William Shakespeare makes the roles of the witches imperative because they create the storyline and spark Macbeth’s actions, all while ruining his life.
The witches can predict the future and impact Macbeth, but they cannot control his fate. Macbeth’s demise was perhaps planned by the witches, but it was his own free will that led him to evil. Macbeth would never have thought seriously about killing Duncan without the witches. The witches are responsible for putting the idea and thought into Macbeth’s mind. As a brave leader of the king’s army, Macbeth’s main goal should be to serve and receive his reward heaven. After his encounter with the witches this is not the case anymore. Ambition is what drives Macbeth, and he only needs the suggestion of what could be his for him to go get it. The sisters enjoyed seeing the downfall of Macbeth by his own selfish actions.Without the witches, his desire to be king would have not been great enough for him to commit murder; the witches are his evil side.
The weird sisters play as catalyst in the story as they change the storyline with their foresights. Without the witches, the story would of course lose weirdness, but the story would collapse and the conflict would vanish. “I will ...
... middle of paper ...
...onsidered killing Duncan without the witches’ probing. He, even, blames his actions on the witches, and uses them to justify his desire for the throne (Cavolowsky Internet).
Justification is all Macbeth needs, or anyone rather to say, who is doing some unjust and wrong. After Macbeth gets the justification straight in his head, he is equipped to go on his quest for King of Scotland.
Macbeth was not virtuous in controlling his own destiny. He let the witches ultimately talk him out of his righteousness and the idea he had that his worthy engagements will make him king one day. The witches of doom were very essential to Macbeth starting disarray within himself and falling into his own fate. Without the witches in the play, foreshadow and suspense would be lost: Macbeth would have eventually earned King of Scotland in the future with his own bravery and leadership.
If anyone is to blame for starting this mess, it should be the Weird Sisters for telling MacBeth prophesies. “They told MacBeth that he would be Thane of Cawdor, and then become king in the future” (Shakespeare 17). After hearing the witches’ prophecy, MacBeth thinks that he must kill the current king, King Duncan, in order to take over the throne. “He writes a letter to his wife saying that he needs to kill Duncan in order to fulfill the witches’ prophesies” (Shakespeare 31). The witches are responsible for introducing the ideas to MacBeth which led to him killing Duncan in order to gain power. The witches had such a strong influence on MacBeth that they became a part of his brain and worked to transform him into this power-hungry monster. It was the killing of King Duncan that caused him to feel the need to kill more people, thinking that they were suspicious. Without the witches there to c...
It all began when “three strange figures” who later turned out to be three witches “told [Macbeth] he would become king (Nuttall 1). Macbeth at this time was a loyal kinsman to Duncan, the current king. While it was a thought in the back of his mind that Macbeth would eventually like to take the throne, it never occurred to him that he would have the murder Duncan in order to do so. The witches added turmoil to this idea by talking about Banquo as well and stating that Banquo’s sons will become king as well. This prophecy made it inevitable that murder would eventually take place. Although hesitant at first, Macbeth, with the persistent help of Lady Macbeth, followed through with the murder and took the throne as King. Had the witches not told Macbeth his prophecy, Macbeth would more than likely not have resorted to the tactics and actions it took for him to in due course become king. At this point in the story, Macbeth is not a cold-blooded murderer who he is destined to become later. Duncan’s murder was Macbeth’s first time to kill another man; however, this wouldn’t be his last as a cover-up would be needed. “[Macbeth] require[ed] a clearness” so t...
In William Shakespeare's famous play Macbeth, there are many reasons for Macbeth's gradual downfall. Numerous factors contributed to Macbeth's ruin, such as his own character flaws and his demanding wife, Lady Macbeth. The Three Witches, however, caused Macbeth the most trouble. First, the sisters stirred his dormant ambitions to be king. In addition to this, the witches' prophesies gave Macbeth a false sense of security. Finally, their predictions falsely led Macbeth to believe he would some day be happy. The Witches' contributed the most to Macbeth's destruction by first stirring his deep lying ambitions, also by giving him a false sense of security and finally, by allowing Macbeth to believe he would someday be content.
Witches in the play did prophecise to Macbeth that he would be king. Macbeth knowing this information became curious, knowing that Duncan was king he wondered how he would acheive the position. So he did indeed kill Duncan under the guidance of the three witches. The witches in this play in terms of ghosts are concerned, we see they are not human or half ways normal when baquo quotes to Macbeth that are not human like as well as irregular in some sort and very unattractive. This leaves a feeling of darkness for example the sky is black and the grass is gray instead of green the branches on the tress are short and rotting. The witches were Macbeth’s fortune tellers but they lead him a bad life In the end.
The witches can not be the most powerful characters in the play or the catalyst to all of Macbeth’s crimes since he has the power of his free will to decide what he does. The witches did not force him to do anything, they only influenced what he did by bringing out his “dark side” and true ambitions. “And Fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, show’d like a rebel’s whore: But all’s too weak: for brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel, which smoked with bloody execution,” (Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 16-20) The Captain says that Macbeth should have been killed in battle but he was stronger than his fate is. This means that Macbeth has no one to blame but himself for his own death, actions and crimes.
...ophecies and the active role of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth cannot be considered solely responsible for his wrongdoing and ultimate tragic end. Although it was his tragic flaw that ultimately destroys him, Macbeth is deceived, tricked, and persuaded throughout the play into believing and doing a variety of things that would lead to this destruction. Because the witches spark Macbeth’s interest through the hopeful prophecies of his future, his natural reaction is to have more curiosity and to want to fulfill the prophecies by any means. Lady Macbeth’s blunt advice to just perform the action without thought is what numbs Macbeth to realizing how his ambition is affecting him. Finally, Macbeth does eventually face his death due to his tragic flaw, but his downfall involved many others who should also claim some responsibility regarding this downfall and Macbeth’s tragic end.
How much of an influence does fate have on the ideals of a person? Is Macbeth acting out the selfish desires of his own accord? Fate is thought to be unavoidable, and all the paths of life lead to a destiny that is inescapable. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, not only is Macbeth’s hand forced in committing a murder, his fate is expedited in the process. Macbeth is in control of his own destiny, but is spurned into decisions by the Witches and his wife. Although Macbeth believes he is controlled by fate, a more thorough inspection reveals his control over all his actions.
Macbeth was capable of achieving his place as king but his path to greatness would not have occurred without his ability to be overconfident. This ability was responsible for his overall position as being blind to the possibility of failure. The witches assured him that he would be essentially invincible and that only in what seemed to be impossible situations, would his life be threatened. Macbeth explains:
showing that through the witches temptation not only is Macbeth destroyed the Kingdom is as well. They are part of the 'larger organism'. The witches also give misleading advice throughout the tragedy. This advice causes him to become scared and makes him feel as if he needs to kill more people to protect himself. This false sense of fate and power on his part is a major factor in his downfall. So, the witches influence Macbeth by causing his ascension, his madness, and his demise. They cannot thus compel his will to evil; but they do arouse his passions and stir up a vehement and inordinate apprehension of the imagination, which so perverts the judgment of reason that it leads his will toward choosing means to the desired temporal good.)
Some say that you control your own actions. But for Macbeth, it is a whole different story. Although Macbeth ultimately sealed his own fate, Lady Macbeth and the Weird sisters also played a part in Macbeth’s actions. The Weird Sisters told Macbeth his prophecy, which resulting in his desire for power; Lady Macbeth pushed him to continue and questioned his manhood when he wanted to stop killing; Macbeth kept killing his foes till the very end.
The witches have a strong effect on Macbeth's character; they highly influence him in his accomplishments and awake his ambitions. They give Macbeth a false sense of security with their apparitions of truths. Instead they prove to be harmful for Macbeth who takes too much comfort and confidence in his interpretation of the truths. They are the ones who plant the actual idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth's mind. But if it were only the witches prophecies, then Macbeth surely would not have murdered the king. 'When you durst to do it, then you were a man,' (Macbeth, Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 7) Lady Macbeth's constant harassment pushed Macbeth and made him commit all this evil. When you reason things out by yourself you tend to now what is right and what is wrong, a conscience. But with the outside influence from the witches he thinks that that is his destiny and he must do everything to fulfill it. One can wonder if Macbeth ever had a chance of doing what was right after he met with the witches. He is overthrown and killed. Through his own ambitions, the ambition of his wife and the witches' prophesies, Macbeth has caused his own destruction and downfall. We can now clearly see that ambition not achieved through our own ability leads to destruction. 'Hail Thane of Glamis and of Cawdor and shalt be King hereafter'. (Act 1 Scene 3) These prophecies from three strangers are taken without question and probably without good judgment. Just the thought that he may be King clouds his thoughts and ambition takes over. The witches can predict the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, but they cannot control his destiny.
The witches influence Macbeth in his achievements and awaken his ambitions. They give him a false sense of security with their apportions of truths. The witches are the ones who made the idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth’s mind. They also told him that he would become thane of Cawdor and later would become king of Scotland. Macbeth wants to know more.
Macbeth’s character changes dramatically when he commits the murder of king Duncan. He is immediately changed to attempting to cover up his action and placing the blame on someone else. He is upset and worried about what he has done and feels very guilty about it. Macbeth is unable to say “Amen” because of his guilty conscience. His seeing the ghost of Banquo and losing his composure at his feast with his guests also prove his guilty mind.
The witches played an undoubtedly large role in MacBeth, being the instigators of the entire plot. In act one scene three, the witches say: `all hail, MacBeth! Hail to thee, thane of cawdor! ... All hail, MacBeth, that shalt be king hereafter!' (Line 47-50) these prophecies throw into his mind the possibility of further advancement to the highest level of the nobility. If the witches had not told MacBeth of their prophesies, there is little chance he would have thought about them himself, and even less chance he would have murdered king Duncan.
The witches’ prophecies tempt Macbeth to begin walking down the path of evil leading to his demise. They are the catalyst that