Macbeth as the Frailty of Human Nature in William Shakespeare's Play

We see this lust for power become stronger and stronger until he leaves the whole of Scotland in a terrible state. The play starts with the witches talking about Macbeth and what a great warrior he is. In Shakespeare’s time witches were thought of as evil and the fact that they were talking about Macbeth made the audience make the connection between Macbeth and evil. The witches also give the audience the setting of the play and the story so far. They tell the audience about the battle in which Macbeth is fighting and that they will meet Macbeth on his return.

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. "My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical," (I.iii.153) he thinks, bringing murder to the front of his mind almost as soon as the witches are proven right. Later in the play, Macbeth's desire for power, encouraged by the witches, leads him to kill the king and assume the throne. Macbeth and his wife use ambiguity and equivocation themselves in pursuit of power. All our service / In every point twice done, and then done double, / Were poor and single business to contend / Against those honors deep and broad wherewith / Your Majesty loads our house.

Though Macbeth performs a plethora of cruel tasks throughout the play, his actions are not his own. The witches, the apparitions and Lady Macbeth's constantly manipulate and motivate Macbeth throughout the play. The witches’ prophecies provide the foundations for Macbeth’s actions. They first convince Macbeth they are indeed magical and their words hold meaning. During their first encounter, one of the witches greets Macbeth with the second prophecy of “All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor.” [Act 1 Scene 3 Line 51] The witches seemingly predict Macbeth’s advancement to thane of Cawdor before it happens, therefore he begins to believe the witches and fall under their temptation.

The Witches’ New Clothes In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the author challenges the reads to ponder whether or not the witches foresaw the events of the play, or caused them to occur themselves. AS the play begins, Macbeth was a good, honest man, and loyal to his king; but upon meeting the three witches and hear their “prophecies,” he beings to defy that role by entertaining thoughts if becoming king. After writing to his wife, the Lady Macbeth, of this encounter, her ambitions feed off of such news and inspire Macbeth to commit treason. Finally, Macbeth himself, mad with his lust for power, puts himself in the position to have all of his trust placed in the final three prophecies, and therefore cause his downfall. By examining Shakespeare’s use of clothing imagery, one can determine that the three witches did, in fact, cause the events of the play by influencing Macbeth’s actions.

His success in the battle against the invaders of Scotland gains respect from the King Duncan and his fellow soldiers. However, the demonic forces, symbolized by three witches, temptates Macbeth. The witches hail Macbeth as the Thane of Glamis and Cawdor who will be king and hail Banquo, who is a nobleman of Scotland and Macbeth’s friend, as one who will become the father of a line of kings. Macbeth ambition deep in his heart starts growing at that time. 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.

The play Macbeth was written as a play for King James Ι, who was actually interested in witchcraft and actually wrote a book about witchcraft, this point's out that witches were taken seriously during His epoch and that many people believed in it. The appearance of the witches in Shakespeare's play would have created a height of tension in the play. It is believed that the witches played an important role in the murder of King Duncan. Act1 Scene1 is a dialogue of evil as the sisters of evil plan to meet Macbeth. They planned to meet Macbeth "when the battle's lost and won, upon the heath" as stated by the second witch.

The plan is followed through Duncan dies and Malcolm flees for his life leaving Macbeth as king. But the guilt is too much and he soon starts to see the goast of King Duncan, meanwhile his wife goes insane with guilt and kills herself. Malcolm army soon attacks on Macbeth and Macduff kills Macbeth. Malcolm was made king.Shakespeare use of witches in act 1 scene 3 and act 4 scene 1 is highly significant, I also believe that they say a lot about Shakespeare and how he would of thought. The main reasons though that I feel the witches roles were so significant is because Shakespeare wanted to please the king who was interested in demonology, to expose Macbeths mind the witches sort of showed his conscious escaping.

Change of Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Play The play 'Macbeth' gives the audience plenty of opportunities to consider the reasons for the main character's actions. In this essay I will consider the many factors which contribute to Macbeth's descent into evil; many factors play a pivotal role in deciding his ill-fated future. With his wife's cajoling, and the three witches' foretelling of his future Macbeth, will stop at nothing to gain position as King of Scotland. Macbeth's ambition also drives this same will as well as his feelings of fear and insecurity. The witches and their prophecies are the first major influence on Macbeth's actions.

Worthy gentleman!” The audience's initial perception of Lady Macbeth is of a confident and evil woman. In her first scene she is reading a letter from her husband telling her about the witch's predictions. Upon reading the letter she instantly decides to obtain the crown for Macbeth through any possible means. “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised.” It is these two bold and sure views of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth that are soon to change. Lady Macbeth forces Macbeth to murder Duncan and when he first refuses, she appeals to his manhood and courage.

Ambition as the Root of Macbeth's Downfall Ambition plays the largest part in Macbeth's downfall. However, without the interference of the witches his ambition would not have changed. The witches increase his ambition drastically by the thought of kingship. Lady Macbeth sees the potential for his ambition to be great, but knows he will do nothing with it, so she plans it all for him; all he has to do is stab Duncan. The three witches are introduced at the beginning of the play; they give Macbeth three prophecies, that he will be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis and King.