In the play, Macbeth, Shakespeare begins with three Witches prophesying the future of Macbeth and Banquo. The prophecies later become motivating factors for Macbeth to pursue his “fate” and to murder others that interfere. Once he kills King Duncan and is crowned the King of Scotland, and can easily commit other atrocities. As the play develops, it is evident that the Witches hold a tremendous amount of power over Macbeth and his destiny. Through their manipulating they are able to lead Macbeth to his demise.
This causes... ... middle of paper ... ...characters that are important in contributing to Macbeth’s downfall. The witches are an example of this as they deliver prophecies to Macbeth that are necessary to Macbeth’s change in attitude and which lead to his downfall. The witches cause Macbeth to believe he is destined to be King and that no one is able to stop him. Additionally, Duncan is significant to Macbeth’s downfall. Duncan is murdered by Macbeth in order for him to become King and this murder makes Macbeth more ambition and determined which leads to his downfall.
Therefore we can assume that it was Lady Macbeth that transformed Macbeth into a megalomaniac. The witches were the force that initiated Macbeth’s possibility to murder Duncan for the throne, which led to the destruction that followed thereafter. When the witches welcome Macbeth they call him by three names, “hail thee, Thane of Cawdor”, “hail thee, Thane of Glamis” and, “”thou shall be king thereafter.” By calling Macbeth by these names the witches aimed for Macbeth to pursue these titles, the role of king in particular as he was not to receive it by chance. “Malcolm, son of Duncan, King of Scotland,” if not for the murders Macbeth would have not gained the kingship as Malcolm was heir. By the witches suggesting that Macbeth would become king they are liable for creating the possibility for Macbeth to choose to commit the disasters that followed.
William Shakespeare once wrote, “Signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine on all deservers” (1.4, 47-48). Like stars, certain people deserve to be rewarded and others are not. In the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a noble general under King Duncan of Scotland. He and his friend Banquo are heroes when they defeat two armies led by the rebel Macdonald. However, when Macbeth encounters three witches during a journey through a moor, he believes the prophecy they tell him and kills his closest friends in order to become king.
He soon becomes paranoid and sends orders to kill those he believes are a threat to his power. Although Macbeth was fated to become king, his downfall was caused by his own free will on the account of his choices to put faith in the witches, kill King Duncan, and kill the family of Macduff. Macbeth’s choice to put his trust in the witches, rather than take heed like Banquo, leads to his own destruction. Macbeth first encounters the three witches after his victory over the Norwegians. When Macbeth passes the three witches on the road, the greet him with, “All hail, Macbeth!
This voluntary misinterpretation, committed in pursuit of power, leads Macbeth to perform certain actions which result in the death of the king, Macbeth's friends, and eventually his own death. From the beginning of the play, Macbeth desires great power. Lady Macbeth's statement to Macbeth that "When you durst do it, then you were a man;" (I.vii.55) suggests that she and Macbeth have contemplated and possibly committed murder for the sake of advancement before. Macbeth provides further support for this in his reaction to the witches' prophecy that he will be king. After Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor, he realizes that the witches were right, and immediately begins to ponder the other part of their prophecy.
In Act I, scene iii, when Macbeth is thinking about the fulfillment of the two prophecies given by the witches before, "My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes my single state of man"(I, iii, 139- 140) In this soliloquy, Macbeth reflects his idea about the "two truths" told by the witches. He is ambitious to become king, as he reacts nervously when the witches mention his fate. The very idea of murder "shakes his single state of man". However, at this point, he is loyal to the king, and he rejects the idea of murder, "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir. "(I, iii, 143-144) The predictions by the witches may have strengthened the criminal intentions that he had probably never yet dared to express clearly, even to himself.
Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor,/All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (Shakespeare 1.3.48-49), says Macbeth will receive the title of Thane of Cawdor but most importantly the title as king. The information that the witches has provided gives Macbeth a reason to write a letter informing his wife, Lady Macbeth, about the news he has received. As they play progresses Lady Macbeth becomes increasingly impatient, therefore she devises a plan to kill King Duncan. Macbeth, an honorable warrior, does not easily agree with the plan to murder King Duncan, and Lady Macbeth becomes persistent and questions Macbeth’s manhood. "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" (Shakespeare 1.7.47-51), says Lady Macbeth to Macbeth, stating that in order for Macbeth to be more of a man he has to kill King Duncan.
The three main factors which contribute greatly to Macbeth's decline is the prophecies told to him by the witches, Lady Macbeth's influence and ability to manipulate Macbeth's judgment, and finally Macbeth's own ambition which drove his desire to be King. First, Macbeth and Banquo's encounter with the three witches begin Macbeth's decline. On their way to the King's court, Macbeth and Banquo come upon the witches. The witches hail Macbeth the Thane of Glamis and the Thane of Cawdor. They also declare Macbeth will be king one day.
Firstly, the witches introduce the idea of becoming king to Macbeth, who later shares it with the Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth then takes advantage of this information to further her and her husband’s place in society by convincing her weak willed husband to kill the King. Finally, Macbeth brought further ruin to himself by being foolish enough to seek out the witches’ guidance once more. This is how the reader can determine that the witches did, in fact, cause for the play’s events to occur. Works Cited Gibson, Rex, ed.