What Is The Theme Of Witchcraft And Evil In Macbeth

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Shakespeare,1:1:12). In other words, this paradox is saying things that may appear to be good in reality are actually evil and things that appear to be evil in reality are actually good. Most of the time things are not what they give the impression to be. Ghosts, witches, and witchcraft were a big interest during the seventeenth century. People in Shakespeare 's time feared the idea of witches, witchcraft, and other supernatural powers.In addition to this, they associated witchcraft and ghosts with the devil. King James I, the ruler of England at the time Shakespeare wrote The Tragedy of Macbeth, wrote Demonology, which consisted of King James 's beliefs about witchcraft and other supernatural powers. Several

A. W. Crawford suggests "Macbeth 's ambition, as we shall see later, not only to gain the crown for himself, but for his descendants"(Part I, 347). Macbeth wanted to be king desperately. He took desperate measures to get there by murdering and deceiving others. A.W. Crawford observes that "The second and third apparitions, as later seen, offered Macbeth deceitful advice and exhortation, and by mocking and riddling prophecy induced in him a false sense of security that put him off his guard"(Part I, 347). Macbeth falls for the witches ' plan to deceive his mind and make it appear that the prophesies are in his favor. Although the apparitions seem like they are prophesying a bright, successful future they are actually warning Macbeth of his fatal end. Things that appear to be good are actually evil. In A.W. Crawford 's article, The Apparitions in Macbeth, we observe that
The first three apparitions had very greatly disturbed Macbeth, but had also given him immediate consolation in the security to his own life seemingly promised him by the second and third. Not content, however, to be assured, as he thought, of his own safety, he was in great anxiety about the succession to the throne(Part II,