Hecate And The Three Fates In William Shakespeare's Macbeth

Three crone-like, supernatural hags who have the power to predict and decide the outcome of every conflict – this description may be attributed to the three witches in Macbeth, but it also applies to the Moirai: the three Fates of Greek mythology. The Fates are considered one of the most powerful deities in Greek mythology, because they control the destinies of kings and queens – even the king and queen of the gods: Zeus and Hera. Hecate and the three witches of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth are reminiscent of Hecate and the Moirai of Greek mythology – because they play similar roles and have comparable attributes. These parallels emphasize the inevitability of Macbeth’s fate, and how his path was even sanctioned by the gods. Throughout the play, the three witches exhibit startling knowledge of …show more content…
If they so desired, they could have altered the destinies of many famous heroes, including Heracles (more commonly known as Hercules), Perseus, and Prometheus, to such undesirable fates that people would recoil at their names. Although the Moirai may be described as, “cold and unmerciful,” they were, “not always deaf to the pleading of others” (“Moirae”). Therefore, the Moirai would occasionally change the fate of a man if requested by Zeus or if they believed that he deserved it. In the case of Macbeth, the witches originally respected Macbeth. All three initially addressed him by saying, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee” (Shakespeare 1, 3, 49). This very respectful way of acknowledging him provides insight into how honorable and worthy Macbeth is. At this time, the witches give Macbeth the two positive prophecies: that he will rise from Thane of Glamis to Thane of Cawdor, and then from Thane of Cawdor to King of Scotland. At this point in the play, Macbeth is still revered, and his fate seems bright – like those of the heroes throughout