Although Macbeth executed the plan, he was not fully aware of the deed he committed as his judgment was clouded. The Witches, or the “Weird Sisters”, are truly fault for Duncan’s murder. Throughout the play, The Witches expressed no clear motive. Witches are often associated with foul behaviour.…
Macbeth had ambition to be the prince of Cumberland and so the witches prophesied his future and made it come true. The witches ( weird sisters) prophesied Macbeth's future to make part of it come true. Lady Macbeth made Macbeth kill Duncan and then she wanted him to leave the evidence there so it will look like he killed himself. Lady Macbeth had control in the play because she didn’t like king Duncan so she wanted her husband Macbeth to kill him and she said “ Go get some water, and wash this filthy witness from your hand, Why did bring these daggers back from the place? They must lie there; go carry them; and smear the sleepy grooms”.…
Macbeth is a play in which the protagonist does not play the role of the good guy. Overcome by his fatal flaw, Macbeth demonstrates characteristics of evil however does not fully suit the role of The Devil Figure. However, the witch sisters represent The Devil Figure because they are purely incarnates of evil. Their sole purpose of existence is to tamper with the lives of others, and through this scene readers can see that is exactly their intention with Macbeth. They plan to ruin the life of a great soldier for their own amusement, thus demonstrating their role as The Devil…
Fair is Foul: Oppositions in MacBeth Opposition in Shakespeare’s MacBeth, is displayed almost immediately, when the witches croak the foreboding lines “Fair is foul and foul is fair” (I, i, 11). This theme recurs throughout the play, constantly challenging the expected and disrupting the natural order of things. MacBeth fights an ongoing struggle between choosing right over wrong, often wondering if the risk of murder is worth the reward of kingship. In contrast, Lady MacBeth breaks the mold of a perfect wife, one who should have a kind and fair heart, through her constant acts of greed and malice. Finally, the fate of the characters are both fair and foul, The patterns of opposition are ever-present in the lives and thoughts of the characters,…
Are humans but the playthings of a higher power, walking blindly along a predetermined path? Or are humans completely in control of their life, and use fate as an excuse to justify their misdeeds? The main character in Shakespeare’s Macbeth brings these questions to the forefront, and it must be decided whether his heinous crimes were the result of a prophecy or if he was merely using the prophecy as an excuse to carry out his heart’s darkest desires. Free will can be defined as the presence of a choice, full knowledge of the consequences, and the lack of external constraint.…
The witches, for the purpose of amusement, and Lady Macbeth, for the purpose of attaining the throne of Scotland, drive Macbeth down an ugly road that eventually brings the destruction of the Macbeth line itself. Any worthy qualities by Macbeth were lost in the chaos that sparked and…
“Macbeth engages in self-refashioning that amounts to sabotage committed upon himself ” (Willis). He even says in act three of the play “my strange and self abuse.” So was Macbeth really a victim of his own fate? Macbeth was in complete control of his actions, but by knowing his future and with the influence of others thinks only he can make it come true.…
No matter how hard you cheat or how many rules are bent in order so keep the lie going. As the witches stated early on in Macbeth, “Fair is foul and foul is fair”(Shakespeare 2). This quote shows how it was the witches who could control things and no matter what Macbeth could never escape his true ending. Macbeth also says, “But is he not born of women”(Shakespeare 168). This shows how the witches cheated Macbeth by giving him a prophecy that they knew he would misinterpret.…
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the drama presents a plot where there is a thin, blurred line between fate and free will. Several aspects attribute to the downfall of Macbeth and there are a variety of viewpoints that coincide with each of the possible faults. However, in actuality, Macbeth’s murder and all of its elements predominantly stem from Macbeth’s own choices. The cause of Macbeth’s death is primarily due to his free will to go and seek unknown dangers and commit heinous crimes.…
The way mortals react to fate has been a common theme in literature from ancient Greek myths, to modern novels. In Shakespeare’s play MacBeth, MacBeth, a thane, learns of his fate from the mystical Weird Sisters. This causes him and his wife to obsess over power while convincing themselves that murder is acceptable. As both of them struggle with the ethics behind their sudden rise to glory, MacBeth is visited by the Weird Sisters at different times during the play. Though it may seem like the Weird Sisters can see into the future, all they are really doing is providing MacBeth with the courage to confront his deep-rooted desire for power.…
Power can transmute the way a character devolves and grows throughout a piece of literature. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth becomes power hungry and changed him into a demanding dictator. His need for power affects his relationship with other characters in the play. The other characters get to the point where they feel the only way to stop him is to slain him. The power changes Macbeth throughout the play to the point where he doesn’t even know who he has become.…
Macbeth is the story about a “valiant” (I.ii.24) Scottish General whose life changed when he met three witches when they predicted his future. His darkest side is encouraged when he meets these three sisters who predicted that he will become king and his wife that encourages him to commit murder. Throughout the play there are numerous symbols and themes. The main character, Macbeth, made choices that he could not avoid, he was easily influenced and…
“ Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” This line also could refer to the witches believing that some of the things most men consider to be foul and ugly are righteous and beautiful to them because they epitomize evil. It also shows how confused Macbeth is, the things we see as bad or evil, he sees as good or helpful. “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done ’t.” As Lady Macbeth talks to herself, she lets out her weakness and the reason why she made Macbeth kill duncan rather than doing it herself. As she saw duncan sleeping, it reminded her of her father and she couldn’t gather herself to kill him.…
Shakespeare focuses on characters being hoodwinked by what is not real, and the vile consequences that follow mistakes in judgement about appearance. Characters including Lady Macbeth, Macbeth and King Duncan are all hoodwinked by false appearances. From the very first line of the play spoken by the witches “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” Shakespeare fills the play with characters and events who are not as they seem. Shakespeare uses foreshadowing in this quote to suggest that there is more un- natural evil to come in the play. The witches establish the play’s tone, which is uneasy, dark and foreboding.…
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” A Shakespearian enthusiast might recognize this paradoxical quote from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, but for many its meaning remains puzzling. How can any sane person claim good is bad, and bad is good? But before writing Shakespeare off as a lunatic, one must take this quote in the context of the story. In Macbeth this quote gives a foreshadowing of the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.…