Comparison Of Macbeth, Banquo, And The Witches

Shakespeare’s Macbeth tells the story of Macbeth, Thane of Glamis and friend to the King. After a battle, Macbeth (and Banquo, but who ever remembers him?) comes across three witches, who give him his prophecy. He is told that he will Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and eventually King. Though he doesn’t believe this prophecy at first, when he is announced Thane of Cawdor by the King, he realizes that it will indeed come true. There have been many interpretations of Macbeth in terms of plays, movie adaptations, and paintings. One famous painting depicting the scene with Macbeth, Banquo, and the witches is Macbeth and the Witches by Joseph Anton Koch. However, Koch chose the omit and add several details in his painting, all of which show that he interpreted this scene as very dramatic, important to the overall plot of the play, and symbolic. Though omission of details can oftentimes be easily brushed aside in movie adaptations as ‘irrelevant’ or ‘taking up too much time’, the same

The main addition in the painting is the presence of angels in the background, who symbolize the dead, both current and future according to the prophecy, since Macbeth would have to kill to become King. They also symbolize fate, which aligns with the scene since the prophecy told by the witches reveals Macbeth’s destiny. The addition of such symbolic angels can only mean that Koch thought the scene symbolic. There is also symbolism in the painting with the colors, since the witches and Macbeth are both wearing bright red, which draws the audience’s attention and makes them seem more important. (Of course, Banquo is not wearing red, so the audience does not even see that he is there). This symbolism is true to the scene, since Macbeth and the witches are the most important characters in the scene as