Preview

Macbeth: Witches Influence on Macbeth's Decisions

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1286 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Macbeth: Witches Influence on Macbeth's Decisions
Macbeth: Witches Influence on Macbeth 's Decisions

In the Shakespearean play, "Macbeth," the witches influence on how Macbeth made his decisions played a crucial part in contributing to his eventual destruction.
The witches were trying to create chaos by prophesying to Macbeth in order to get him to act. They planted the seed of evil in Macbeth 's head that grew to dominate his mind. But it was Macbeth who made the choices that determined his fate. He was not forced to kill Duncan nor any of his other victims. But after he murdered Duncan, Macbeth lost his sanity. The witches were easily able to control his mind. They made him believe that he was invincible, and then he willingly continued to fight when he knew that it would mean his doom. Macbeth 's downfall was planned by the weird sisters, but it was Macbeth 's own free will that lead him to it.

The three witches called the weird sisters are the root of the problem that is the subject for this story. The weird sisters are creators of chaos by nature.
They associate with evil spirits and obey them, and they are followers of the evil goddess, Hecate. In the play the witches, with their spells, plan the downfall of Macbeth. They cannot directly harm him themselves, so they tell
Macbeth predictions for his possible future, in order to make him act on them.
The witches tell Macbeth that he will become the thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland. They poison his mind with these prophesies, making him greedy and bringing out the evil qualities in his soul. When the first of the promises is proven authentic, Macbeth then considers the idea of murdering Duncan for the first time. This is his first step on the journey to his demise, as the witches had planned.

The three witches ' plan succeeded, they had aroused the greed in Macbeth, allowing him to make the most important choice of the play - to kill Duncan.
Macbeth does not easily make this decision. In fact, at first he decides against it, but, with the knowledge

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    | The witches first prophecy come true, Macbeth became Thane of Cawdor and more hooked with the second prophecy on becoming king. Soon Macbeth sends a letter to his wife telling her about the prophecies. First effect, Lady Macbeth receives the news and immediately plots the death of King Duncan so her husband will be king.…

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    after killing him and then reveals his true self to the suitors by telling them “ You thought id never make…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He is an easily manipulated man. His wife was able to get him to go through with killing Duncan.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Duncan when the thought of doing such a thing scares him and makes heart race. Yet he killed…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth is made thane of cawdor because the old cawdor betrayed the king and began to…

    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Though he did get some good out of the witches words, Macbeth was already seeing his world crumble. The only solution that he could find for his problem, was to seek out the witches…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Macbeth is a brave yet conflicted character that has to face a lot of decisions throughout…

    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Which means that he must pretend he doesn't know who killed Duncan and he has to convince his heart to do the same too so he doesn't show any evidence or weakness about the truth of him killing Duncan. As planned after killing Duncan he becomes the next king of Scotland.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Like snakes, the witches of Macbeth poison Macbeth's mind and spread illness upon him. The tragic events in Macbeth are not primarily Macbeth's or Lady Macbeth's fault but rather the responsibility of the witches. They infect Macbeth with wickedness, send evil spirits to Lady Macbeth, and manipulate Macbeth with ambiguous prophecies. Shunned by society and living in solitude, these three weird sisters hide in the background using Macbeth as their puppet. Unbeknownst to all, Macbeth was not the root cause of the tragic events and time will never be free as long as these witches have the ability to influence whomever they choose. Perhaps that is the reason instability continues in the throne for the years that follow.…

    • 118 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth Fate Quotes

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages

    It is said that fate does not choose it’s own victims, but it’s victims choose their own fate. In the tragedy Hamlet by Shakespeare, it is evident that the tragic hero, Macbeth, chooses his own fate and creates his own downfall. With greed, hubris and mistrust, Macbeth chooses and shapes his own destiny. Macbeth’s greed for power leads to the mistrust of those around him and in the end forms his fatal downfall. If the evil inside Macbeth was not to have overtaken the good, his ending may have concluded otherwise.…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    All through the catastrophic play of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character, Macbeth, makes countless poor choices. The three witches’, also referred to as the three weird sisters, prophecy is the event that tipped him over the edge and into mental deterioration. From Act 1 to the very ending of act 5, Macbeth suffers through the consequences of his actions and choices which are the ultimate cause of his mental deterioration and downfall, as well as the development of psychological disorders.…

    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Is Lady Macbeth To Blame

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In many disastrous situations in life, people direct blame away from themselves, saying that their problems were caused by others. This happens in one of William Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth; there is a great deal of debate over whether the witches, Lady Macbeth, or Macbeth was most to blame for the chaos that took place throughout the play. There are many things that influence Macbeth and his actions, but he himself is most to blame for the calamities that take place throughout the story because he willingly let himself become an overly ambitious, paranoid, corrupt, and murderous tyrant. At the beginning of the story, when Macbeth and Banquo are returning from battle, the witches prophesize that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    King James’ Daemonlogie caused most people in the 16th century to have a skewed perception of witches. Many people misunderstand whether the weird sisters in Macbeth are witches or the fates. Weird sisters refer themselves in the text as witches. In Act I Scene III, the witches are conversing about their encounter with the sailor’s wife, she says, “'Aroint thee, witch” (104). Also when casting a spell, in Act IV Scene I. the wicked sisters put in their cauldron a “witches mummy” (1713). The wicked sisters are easily identified as witches, revealing their true nature. Those that deal with witchcraft have given up their claim to either masculinity or femininity. True witches use the duel gender roles to take the fertility of their victims, but only to those who fall for the tricks. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare shows people the nature of true evil and wants the people, especially King James, to understand and recognize an actual witch in hopes of stopping the brutal murders of guiltless women.…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    to his downfall. Macbeth shows the human trait of arrogance and selfishness in order for him to…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    When Macbeth first encounters the Witches, they inform him of his prophecy to become the Thane of Cawdor, and soon to be King of Scotland. He is also with Banquo, and he is informed that his kids will be kings, but not him. The Witches say to Macbeth, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii.51-53). At first, he becomes shocked and surprised by this, but he soon realizes after being crowned Thane of Cawdor, that this prophecy will most likely come true. As soon as Macbeth learns of his prophecy, he…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics