The Role of the Witches In Macbeth and Their Responsibility for Macbeth's Tragic End
The role of the witches in the play Macbeth depends on the nature of the audience. Initially, the Elizabethan audience consider Macbeth as …show more content…
The significance of the prophecy is that it is brought this desire to the foreground, and made it reality.
The witches told Macbeth that he would be king, and he took this statement for granted. For Macbeth, it suddenly changed from whether or not he would be king to how would get to be king. Without the witches to suggest the major course of action, Macbeth would not have been so bold as to pursue his ambition.
I feel the witches know that Macbeth will be paranoid and kill those about him. Hecate herself says: "And you all know, security is mortals' chiefest enemy." (3.5.32-33).
The witches also come to Macbeth again, speaking of his future and his downfall. Three apparitions appear before him. The first tell him to beware Macduff, who eventually leads the forces to defeat Macbeth. The second tells him "Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." (4.1.79-81). The third apparition tells him "Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him." (4.1.92-93)
Each of these prophecies is also fulfilled in the course of the …show more content…
Especially the last two prophecies instil a sense of invincibility in Macbeth, and encourage him to continue on his course just as his resolve begins to weaken. This false sense of fate and power on his part is a major factor to his downfall. So, the witches influence Macbeth by causing his madness and his demise.
The other side of Duncan's murder is due to the contribution of Lady Macbeth, who begins plotting as soon as she finds out that Duncan is coming to stay. When Macbeth first hears the prophecies, and when the first two come of them comes true, he does think of killing the king, but also, towards the end of Act 1, Scene 3, he thinks perhaps he doesn't need to do anything to become king. "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir." (1.3.143-144. On the other hand Lady Macbeth, on receiving the letter telling her about the witches prophecies, she immediately thinks that she and Macbeth will have to kill Duncan. She also decides that Macbeth is too nice to kill the king, saying that he "is too full o' the milk of human
The role of the witches in the play Macbeth depends on the nature of the audience. Initially, the Elizabethan audience consider Macbeth as …show more content…
The significance of the prophecy is that it is brought this desire to the foreground, and made it reality.
The witches told Macbeth that he would be king, and he took this statement for granted. For Macbeth, it suddenly changed from whether or not he would be king to how would get to be king. Without the witches to suggest the major course of action, Macbeth would not have been so bold as to pursue his ambition.
I feel the witches know that Macbeth will be paranoid and kill those about him. Hecate herself says: "And you all know, security is mortals' chiefest enemy." (3.5.32-33).
The witches also come to Macbeth again, speaking of his future and his downfall. Three apparitions appear before him. The first tell him to beware Macduff, who eventually leads the forces to defeat Macbeth. The second tells him "Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." (4.1.79-81). The third apparition tells him "Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him." (4.1.92-93)
Each of these prophecies is also fulfilled in the course of the …show more content…
Especially the last two prophecies instil a sense of invincibility in Macbeth, and encourage him to continue on his course just as his resolve begins to weaken. This false sense of fate and power on his part is a major factor to his downfall. So, the witches influence Macbeth by causing his madness and his demise.
The other side of Duncan's murder is due to the contribution of Lady Macbeth, who begins plotting as soon as she finds out that Duncan is coming to stay. When Macbeth first hears the prophecies, and when the first two come of them comes true, he does think of killing the king, but also, towards the end of Act 1, Scene 3, he thinks perhaps he doesn't need to do anything to become king. "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir." (1.3.143-144. On the other hand Lady Macbeth, on receiving the letter telling her about the witches prophecies, she immediately thinks that she and Macbeth will have to kill Duncan. She also decides that Macbeth is too nice to kill the king, saying that he "is too full o' the milk of human