The Three Witches In Macbeth

Superior Essays
Macbeth is a tragedy play written by William Shakespeare. Macbeth was written and performed in 1606. Throughout the play a few of the main characters consist of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, The Three Witches, and Macduff. In the beginning of the play, the audience is forced to think that Macbeth is this good guy. Well, technically he was a good guy, a good guy that just needed a small push into the dark. The Three Witches persuade and deceive Macbeth into doing the morally wrong: murder. Once Macbeth starts, he does not stop. Sure, the Three Witches do not flat out tell him to murder King Duncan, but does he do it? Yes. Macbeth commits murder because he will become king once King Duncan is deceased. Macbeth continues to kill people to insure his place as king. Macbeth could easily be mistaken as the protagonist and antagonist in this particular play. However, Macbeth is the protagonist and the Three Witches are the antagonist. …show more content…
Moreover, in the beginning of Macbeth, the audience is first introduced to the Three Witches. They begin to chant equivocations and underlying foreshadows foreseeing into later occurances of the play. The witches then begin to talk about seeing Macbeth later, after a battle. Later, …show more content…
Macbeth commits so many murders throughout the play that the audience wants to be on the antagonists side. It is known that when taking the play as a whole it is seen that it results back to all of the Three Witches doings. The Three Witches directly manipulate Macbeth into bartering murder for power all throughout the play, as well as them working towards Macbeth’s death all

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Who Is Lady Macbeth Evil

    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the true evil personalities of both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are portrayed. After learning that Macbeth could one day possibly become king, the couple decides to do whatever it takes. Lady Macbeth is very manipulative and convinces Macbeth that the only way he will ever be king is if he kills Duncan, the king at the time the prophecy was given. After killing Duncan Macbeth begins to show his evil tendencies by killing many innocent people without the help of Lady Macbeth. Throughout the play both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth struggle with their need for power making them both evil; however, Macbeth is shown to be more evil due to his lack of emotion and sanity.…

    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Although Macbeth executed the plan, he was not fully aware of the deed he committed as his judgment was clouded. The Witches, or the “Weird Sisters”, are truly fault for Duncan’s murder. Throughout the play, The Witches expressed no clear motive. Witches are often associated with foul behaviour.…

    • 284 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Without the three witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth would have never gotten any of these negative ideas in his head. In this play it is implied that without the witches, this play wouldn't happen. As stated by Shakespeare, "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! /…

    • 285 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Peer Pressure In Macbeth

    • 1317 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Lady Macbeth pressures Macbeth to commit these murders, because she comes up with the plan, but makes Macbeth carry them out. Larsen also says Lady Macbeth does not do her job as being loyal to Macbeth. Larsen explains "Lady Macbeth violates her chief duty to her husband and her god when she urges”(Larsen 205). Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to kill king duncan which makes her not loyal to her husband. Author Jack Muller thinks that without the witches existence there would be no murders ever committed.…

    • 1317 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Macbeth, the protagonist of Macbeth, is first seen as brave and heroic but as the play progresses, it is revealed that Macbeth is secretly two-faced and power-hungry. During the beginning of the play,…

    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth’s desire for power lead him to commit murder not once but three continuous times throughout the play. The death of Banquo, Duncan, and Macduff’s family proves how willing he was to do whatever it took to secure his spot as King. Macbeth believed he was undefeatable because the witches told him “Fear not, Macbeth; no man that’s born of woman Shall e’er have power upon thee”…

    • 654 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth is the story of a nobleman, Macbeth, who receives a prophecy that promises him success and power. The only way to secure that power is through murder and violence. Due to such evil Macbeth falls victim to karma and is killed. Throughout the story Macbeth does awful things. Although, he is not alone.…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Opening Statement Ladies and gentlemen of the court, the evidence will show that the witches are truly responsible for Macbeth’s actions. Firstly, without the three witches, Macbeth would’ve never thought of wanting to be King or attempting to take the throne. “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (Act 1 Scene 3). Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s lust for the crown was only driven by the idea that they would for certain be king and queen.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a play that highlights one common theme: the gradual loss of sanity. Macbeth progressively becomes plagued by intense, consuming guilt as his desire for power drives him to attain his goals by any means necessary, including the act of committing murder. Feeding his hunger for dominance, he murders King Duncan in cold blood in order to become the King of Scotland, has Banquo killed by three murderers to maintain his position as royalty, and finally, he has Macduff’s family slaughtered out of rage and fear. Although all of these occurrences take place because of Macbeth’s eagerness to be King, they all result in him being overtaken by shame and dismay. Realizing that every move that he makes is completed of…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare about a “dead butcher and his fiend like Queen” (5.8.82). In the beginning of the play, the main character Macbeth is a noble war hero who is honest and morally upright. Macbeth is then introduced to a group of evil witches who begin to play psychological mind games on him, which eventually lead to his destruction. The major causes of Macbeth’s downfall are hubris, errors in judgement, and forces beyond his control. One character flaw Macbeth possesses is Hubris.…

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The three malicious all-knowing witches use their information to make Macbeth go crazy. This idea has overpowered his conscious thoughts, which leads him to do bad things and make bad decisions. After murdering Duncan, Macbeth loses all sanity he had left making him a very easy and defenceless target for the witches. By telling Macbeth his prophecies about being king, he became very greedy and power hungry influencing his actions and thoughts. Although Macbeth was not physically manipulated, the witches used his desire and acquisitive ways to influence his actions heavily.…

    • 91 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth does not start the play in a murderous state of mind, but as soon as the witches inform him that he is destined to become king, he slowly starts doing whatever it takes to secure that position of authority (McGuinness 71). At first, one can easily blame the witches, as they were clearly trying to test Macbeth’s reaction when they declare “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (1.3.50). Lady Macbeth also manipulated him significantly throughout the play. When Macbeth starts to have second thoughts about killing King Duncan, Lady Macbeth quickly attempts to persuade him by asking “art thou afeard //…

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a well known tale about a man whose own ambition drives him to become the murderer of anyone in his way. Following an ominous prophecy by three witches, Macbeth allows power to blind his moral character and stops at nothing to rise to the top as King of Scotland. As his plans unfold, they soon fall apart and he answers for his crime by facing extreme consequences. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is responsible for his own downfall.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Macbeth was not sure of everything and who was really there to help him on decisions. He did not know who was by his side to guide him through the process. First, Macbeth was influenced by the three witches, who made Macbeth more determined to become king. However they made Macbeth bring out his deepest and darkest side. In the play, the witches never mentioned that Macbeth had to kill to become king, he has decided by himself that killing Duncan was the only way to be crowned.…

    • 1219 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth Vs Machiavelli

    • 1089 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Macbeth chooses to tell Lady Macbeth about the Witches’ prophesy and she is the catalyst for Duncan’s murder. Since she is the dominant force in their relationship, he often relies on her to make the decisions and this dynamic is why he fully believes that the only way to obtain power is by killing…

    • 1089 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays