How Did The Three Witches Contribute To The Downfall Of Macbeth

When it comes to the downfall of Macbeth, there is a combination of factors to encounter. These factors include the conflicts Macbeth faces and who may persuade him to act how he does throughout the play. The first factor to encounter is the Three Witches and their told prophecies. The next is Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife, who persuades Macbeth to do certain deeds and convinces him of feelings that differ from his own. The last factor to be recognized is Macbeth himself. Ultimately, when Macbeth has done something he feels uneasy about, it was his decision to take action.
In the first scene of The Tragedy of Macbeth, the audience is introduced to the Three Witches, or the Weird Sisters. In Act Ⅰ, Scene 3 they tell of three prophecies that Macbeth …show more content…
Lady Macbeth is a strong and persuasive character. The first moment the reader observes Lady Macbeth having an impact on Macbeth’s actions is when she is speaking of the plan to kill King Duncan. Macbeth seems unsure about acting out the deed, but Lady Macbeth persuades him that the murder is necessary for Macbeth to earn the role of king. Lady Macbeth is successful in the persuasion by questioning Macbeth’s manhood. The questioning comes through lines 49 through 51 in Act Ⅰ, Scene 7, “When you durst do it, then you were a man; / And to be more than what you were, you would / Be so much more the man.” Macbeth feels he must prove to his wife that he is a man, and so Macbeth does indeed kill King Duncan. Macbeth returns from Duncan’s chamber where he displays doubt in himself. Readers can note at this point that it was not Macbeth’s ambition to murder in order to obtain the title as King. In fact, readers can also make a note of the murder being Lady Macbeth’s ambition. Author Huston Diehl makes an excellent claim sharing his personal note on the character of Lady Macbeth, “To Lady Macbeth, however, the blood on her husband’s and on her own hands is merely external evidence of the murder, easily washed off, eradicated.” (195) Lady Macbeth shows no uncertainty believing the murder was necessary. With this event so early in the play, readers see the relationship for it is and will recognize similar …show more content…
It is apparent to readers that Macbeth is not a strong character. Whether it’s following the prophecies told by the witches or going along with Lady Macbeth’s scheme of things, in the end it comes to Macbeth making the choice of his next action. After Macbeth performs the murder of King Duncan, it’s obvious to readers all of the guilt that he feels. Macbeth struggles internally with the guilt of the murders. In Act Ⅱ, Scene 2, Macbeth expresses that he feels guilt through lines such as, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine, / Making the green one red.” Macbeth does not believe he could ever be cleansed of his actions. In The Backgrounds of Shakespeare’s Plays, the author recognizes the internal conflict, Macbeth versus himself. Holzknecht presents the idea, “the conflict between duty and ambition is succeeded by that between ambition and remorse of conscience” (336) which is an accurate statement. Macbeth’s conflict with his ambitions is a far greater conflict than between fulfilling the prophecies of the witches or going along with Lady Macbeth’s plans for