The Witches in MacBeth Essay

The Witches in MacBeth

Shakespeare utilized many sources of information when writing his plays. One of his sources for the witches in MacBeth was almost certainly Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft, published in 1584. In his book, Scot refuted many of the common notions regardingwitches and their powers; nevertheless, the book created a basic outline for the typical witch, including physical descriptions and abilities. The witches in MacBeth are representations of those described in Scot's book. In the play, Shakespeare describes authentic witches in theirphysical appearance and behavior and MacBeth's character is made more villainous through his association with these terrifying figures....show more content... For example, they have familiars, or spirits given to them by the devil for the purpose of giving advice and performing evil deeds. The first witch has a familiar named Graymalkin and the second witch has one named Paddock. Paddock is often thought to be a toad, which is consistent with the common ideas of the time period in England, as familiars were thought to be toads, cats, or some other small animal. The single mention of the familiars in the beginning indicates an attempt to authenticate the characters as witches.

It becomes apparent that the witches are also responsible for committing evil deeds. Scot enumerates the capabilities of witches at the time: "they ...raise haile, tempests, and hurtfull weather; as lightning and thunder...They can passe from place to place in the aire invisible" (Scot 6). The first witch describes her plans to raise a storm and sink the ship belonging to the husband of a woman who would not share chestnuts with her. Her sisters offer to give her winds to aid her in her task. Then, the first witch admits the man's ship "shall be tempest tossed" (1.3.26). The witches also display the ability to become invisible. After their first meeting with MacBeth andBanquo, the witches seem to vanish into thin air. Banquo says, "Whither are they vanished?" and MacBeth answers, "Into the air, and

Get more content

Topic: How important are the witches to Macbeth? Discuss the effects of the witches on character, plot, themes and audience.

In the play of В‘Macbeth' by William Shakespeare the witches have an important effect on Macbeth, the characters, the plot, the theme and the audience. They help construct the play and without them it would have been a totally different story line. The three weird sisters influenceMacbeth in his acts, they effect characters lives, orientate the plot, they are related to most of the themes and appeal the audience's attention.

The witches have a strong effect on Macbeth's character; they highly influence him in his accomplishments and awake his ambitions. They give Macbeth a...show more content...

The witches can predict the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, but they cannot control his destiny. Macbeth creates his own misery when he is driven by the guilt of his actions. Although the witches did have the power to accurately predict significant events in Macbeth's life, the actual В‘carrying out' of those prophecies was undertaken by Macbeth.

In this play, the three equivocators have a resilient effect, not only on Macbeth but on the other characters too. В‘Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings though thou be none.' (Act 1 Scene 3) Banquo is directly involved with thethree witches; he talks to them face to face. Being at first strongly contrasted with Macbeth, as an innocent man with a guilty one, it seems like this contrast must be continued to his death; while, in reality, though it is never removed, it is gradually diminished. Banquo in fact may be described much more truly than Macbeth as the victim of the Witches. Some other characters are indirectly affected by their prophecies. If Macbeth had not been influenced by the witches, he would not have killed Duncan. Because they are the ones who start the play and orientate it, the witches have an effect on every ones life.

The three weird sisters prophesies orientate the plot in a certain direction, some events might not have occurred without their sayings. Macbeth hears these words and then tries to make

Macbeth: The Witches' Responsibility for Macbeth's Actions

The three witches that are introduced at the beginning of the play are responsible for the introduction of the ideas that caused Duncan's death and Macbeth's destruction but not for Macbeth's actions themselves. They recount to Macbeth three prophecies; that Macbeth will be: 1) Thane of Cawdor, 2) Thane of Glamis, and 3) King. Macbeth welcomes the ideas spawned from the witches' prophecies, which is what triggered the spiral of events in this story. Macbeth eventually followed through with killing King Duncan. It was sometimes thought that the witches had the ability to reverse the natural order of things. This brings to the play the idea of fate and the role it has in the play....show more content...

Lady Macbeth is partly to blame for the manipulation and the encouragement she gave Macbeth to do her evil deeds. Lady Macbeth is shown early in the play as an ambitious woman with a single purpose. She can manipulate Macbeth easily. This is shown in the line "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear" (1.5.26). She is selfless, and wants what is best for her husband. Before the speech that Lady Macbeth gives in Act I, Scene V, Macbeth has decided not to murder Duncan. However, Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth's self–esteem by playing on his manliness and his bravery. This convinces Macbeth to commit regicide. Her manipulation of Macbeth is like a child who is easily guided. Lady Macbeth knows this and acts on it. Although Macbeth has the final say in whether or not to go through with the murder, he loves his wife and wants to make her happy. Lady Macbeth is the dominating individual in the relationship, which is shown in her soliloquy in Act I, Scene V: The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements. Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, form the crown to the toe, top–full of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood, stop up th' access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between th' effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, and take my milk for gall, you

Get more content

The witches in Macbeth are considered both evil incarnate and agents of fate. The witches in themselves represent evil, with their spells, brewings of potions and their prophecies. But they also could be considered agents of fate bringing on the idea of destiny. That it wasn't necessarily the witches doing of the downfall of Macbeth, but Macbeth himself and Lady Macbeth. The circumstances that surrounded Macbeth affected his downfall as king. The most blame could perhaps go to Lady Macbeth because she urged Macbeth to start all the things he did, and it just got out of control. He was becoming evil himself, but it was like an addiction to him, as if he could not stop what he was doing, he had no control. Although the witches had intervened with their prophecy of him becoming king, Macbeth had his own choices to make, it wasn't up to anyone else of what he did. Macbeth did have free will, he was just afraid to stick up for himself towards his wife.

The theme of Blood in Macbeth is the symbolism and demonstrates the feeling of guilt the characters have. Which lead to the characters feeling fear and having reoccurring horror in the play. One significant references of blood in the play would be when Macbeth is trying to wash his hands of the blood of Duncan but his guilt is eating him up so bad that, the blood will come off but his guilt will not. "They pluck out mine eyes./ Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood/ Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather/ The Get

The Macbeth Witches

In the first scene in act one we can see that the witches have some kind of psychic ability from when they predict that Macbeth will win the battle. The witches appear to be having some sport of shared vision. We can tell this from the second quotation– "When the hurlyburly's done. When the battle's lost and won." The witches clearly know that King Duncan's side will win the battle. They also know when they will meet with Macbeth– "There to meet with Macbeth." This addresses the theme of witchcraft and is Shakespeare's way of letting the audience know that the witches have powers.

The scene is set in the dark on the heath– a very open place, and the thunder and lightning in the background 'top it off' as such....show more content...

At the opening of scene three again we hear thunder, not only does this create the spooky atmosphere as before, but it also confirms the witches' predictions about the weather and makes the audience think that they have some sort of power over the weather.

The first witch begins to tell a story of a sailors' wife towards whom she has taken great umbrage. She tells the others how she will get back at the woman by torturing her husband. She says she will sail in a sieve to him at Aleppo.

We then see that the witches can control the weather again when the others say they will help her by sending a wind. The first witch refuses and continues to tell of her wicked ways with the sailor. She possesses a pilot's thumb which is quite disturbing for the audience and highlights the key theme of witchcraft again.

Suddenly we hear a drum and once again can see that the third witch in particular may be psychic. "A drum, a drum! Macbeth doth come" Then the witches begin to chant a spell. When it is done they say "Peace the charm's wound up." This confirms for us that it was a charm or spell and makes the audience wonder what it has achieved.