In the first act of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth encounters three witches who predict Macbeth’s future. The witches predict that Macbeth will soon become the King of Scotland and the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, and the witches both play a large role in Macbeth’s developing desire to become king. If Macbeth had not encountered the witches, Macbeth would never have taken the steps necessary to become king himself.
When the Macbeth first meets the witches, he is very surprised by what the witches predict about him and Banquo. The second and third witches greet Macbeth by saying, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.49-50). The witches …show more content…
Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose murder is yet fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of mind That function is smothered in surmise,
And nothing is but what is not” (1.3.134-142).
Macbeth is extremely hesitant on whether he should kill King Duncan because he is loyal to him, and he says that the witches’ predictions are making him consider doing so. Before he met the witches, he would have never wanted to kill the king intentionally. Macbeth is becoming more greedy, and this is shown when he is talking to himself after Duncan declares Malcolm, the Prince of Cumberland. He says to himself,
The prince of Cumberland! That is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet not that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see “(1.4.48-53).
Macbeth decides he wants to take the necessary steps to become king, even though it means killing the king he is devoted to. If the witches did not mention that he will become king, the thought most likely would never have come to mind because he was already Thane of Cawdor, and wasn’t greedy at the
When the Macbeth first meets the witches, he is very surprised by what the witches predict about him and Banquo. The second and third witches greet Macbeth by saying, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.49-50). The witches …show more content…
Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose murder is yet fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of mind That function is smothered in surmise,
And nothing is but what is not” (1.3.134-142).
Macbeth is extremely hesitant on whether he should kill King Duncan because he is loyal to him, and he says that the witches’ predictions are making him consider doing so. Before he met the witches, he would have never wanted to kill the king intentionally. Macbeth is becoming more greedy, and this is shown when he is talking to himself after Duncan declares Malcolm, the Prince of Cumberland. He says to himself,
The prince of Cumberland! That is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet not that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see “(1.4.48-53).
Macbeth decides he wants to take the necessary steps to become king, even though it means killing the king he is devoted to. If the witches did not mention that he will become king, the thought most likely would never have come to mind because he was already Thane of Cawdor, and wasn’t greedy at the