Examples Of Treachery In Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth One of the more popular works of Shakespeare, Macbeth, centers around Macbeth, a very impressionable and power-hungry character, and his vindictive wife. His ambitions drive him to kill the King, a close friend, and many others in order to gain the throne and retain his power. However, there is the added factor of supernatural interference in Macbeth. This power - Hecate and her fellow witches - are essentially to blame for all of the treachery that takes place in Macbeth. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth has his first contact with the witches. This “chance” meeting creates the catalyst for all of the following conflicts. Upon this initial exposure, the witches greet him, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (I, iii, 52). They provide him with the prophecies that lead him to kill not only King Duncan, but everyone after that. It may have been subtle intervention, but this slight distortion of his goals plant the seed of negative ambition. Because of this twist, Macbeth’s focus shifts to the throne or, as he sees it, the ultimate power. The witches further their coercion later in the play after Macbeth has committed the first two murders and been crowned king. Though this time he seeks out the witches himself, they could have left him alone. Instead they prod him further …show more content…
There are even many plausible explanations to support blaming a variety of characters. However, Hecate and the other witches are the only characters that can fully shoulder this culpability. The witches plant the idea of becoming king into Macbeth’s psyche, trick him into believing nothing can reach him, and provide the breeding ground for his ever-growing paranoia and persistence to retain power. The witches’ main desire is to witness the downfall of Macbeth, and, in the end, he is completely susceptible to this