Why Are The Witches Important In Macbeth

Improved Essays
Finally, the witches in Macbeth play a pivotal role in the advancement of the plot as they spark Macbeth’s thought to murder Duncan and they intensify Macbeth’s ambition and overconfidence. The three witches bring about Macbeth’s inclination to murder Duncan as they prophesize that Macbeth will be “future king.” Bearing this prophecy in mind, Macbeth immediately thinks to himself, “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/ Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/ And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,/ Against the use of nature?” (1.3.143-145). Macbeth begins to devise ways of fulfilling the witches’ prophecy and eventually arrives to the idea of overthrowing Duncan. Furthermore, the witches advance the plot as they intensify Macbeth’s ambition by leaving Macbeth power-hungry. The witches foresee Macbeth’s future as king which …show more content…
Finally, the witches advance the plot as they add to Macbeth’s overconfidence. Upon meeting with the witches for the second time, Macbeth receives prophecies which reveal that, “None of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth.” (1.4.82-83). Macbeth now convinces himself that he is indestructible as he goes into battle believing he bears “a charmed life, which must not yield/ To one of woman born.” (5.8.13-14). Macbeth is blinded by his overconfidence and fails to fathom the idea that Macduff is not woman born as Macduff was “from his mother’s womb/ Untimely ripped” (5.8.15-16). The witches are ultimately the ones who give rise to Macbeth’s overconfidence which leads Macbeth to believe Macduff is harmless, thus, leading Macbeth to his downfall. Although the three witches are secondary characters in the play, they are vital to advancing the plot as they guide Macbeth’s thought to murder Duncan and they intensify Macbeth’s overconfidence and ambition, which are ultimately the basis of Macbeth’s

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The witches, for the purpose of amusement, and Lady Macbeth, for the purpose of attaining the throne of Scotland, drive Macbeth down an ugly road that eventually brings the destruction of the Macbeth line itself. Any worthy qualities by Macbeth were lost in the chaos that sparked and…

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The witches make Macbeth believe that he has an upper hand by continuing their prophecy “non of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth.” In Shakespeare’s era, it was rare for an individual to be born of caesarean and therefore the witches deceived Macbeth with their words. They made him think that he will be safe and no one can harm him. Little did Macbeth know, the witches were telling the truth although there was an underlying twist since Macduff was born of caesarean.…

    • 1031 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Manipulation of Macbeth Within Shakespeare ’s play Macbeth the character of Lord Macbeth is manipulated by the powerful females throughout the drama. Macbeth 's character is weak in the beginning and is easy prey to the demanding threats of his wife, Lady Macbeth, as well as the witches’ manipulation throughout the telling of the prophecies. As the play unfolds Macbeth becomes more confident and more reckless while depending on the witches’ prophecies.…

    • 816 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

    The witches seemed as though they were sincere characters considering that their previous prophecies came true, Macbeth believed that anything the witches said was entirely accurate and had no fear that he was being mislead. When Macbeth was given his prophecies, they made him believe that he was “indestructible” when in reality the witches were using ambiguity to trick him into thinking he was going to be safe from Macduff. “Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth.” the witches say this to warn Macbeth to beware of Macduff , but then use ambiguity to make it seem like he could never get killed, when in reality they deceived him because Macduff was not exactly “born by a woman.”…

    • 1135 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What evidence from the play (quotes and examples) supports your thesis concerning the role of the witches? In many of Shakespeare plays there is a relationship among the characters. These relations influence how the play will endure as you watch or read. One of these brilliant tragedies was Macbeth.…

    • 1456 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The witches were not completely honest with Macbeth. This made him feel over confident with the information he receives. At first Macbeth did not believe the witches, but when the first and second prophecy came true he slowly starts to trust them. When Macbeth starts to think that him becoming king might be true, his faithfulness towards the current king starts to deteriorate. His minds, then starts to fill with negative thoughts of assassinating the king, and crowning himself.…

    • 1471 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Hail, King of Scotland!” (Act V, Scene VIII) Macbeth had it all; he was Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and the King. But who is this quote actually talking about? Once a respected person on the battlefield and to the King, Duncan, Macbeth loses all trust when he cheats his way into getting what he wants.…

    • 1185 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Arthur Schopenhauer once said, “Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills.” In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a middle-aged man who wants nothing more than to be the king of Scotland. With this yearning for power comes the problem of how to obtain it. Was it fate that controlled Macbeth or his own free will? Free will is a free and independent choice while fate is the development of events beyond a person’s control.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Monsters In Macbeth

    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The witches strongly affected Macbeth's character; they profoundly impact him in his achievements and conscious his desire. They give Macbeth an inaccurate conviction that all is well with the world with their phantoms of truths. Rather they turn out to be unsafe for Macbeth who takes a lot of solace and trust in his understanding of the truths. They are the ones who plant the genuine thought of murdering Duncan into Macbeth's psyche. Regardless, in the event that it were just the witches desires, then Macbeth undoubtedly would not have killed the King. '…

    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Knowledge is a powerful tool and can be beneficial or destructive, depending on the person’s personality and decisions. This is depicted in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a play about a man, Macbeth, who believes it is his fate to be king due to three witches’ prophecies. During his quest to acquire and keep the crown, he commits murders, goes crazy, and loses most human emotion. Macbeth becomes increasingly less human and more monstrous due to his greed for power and misuse of knowledge.…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    His addiction leads him into the destruction of his humanity. Macbeth becomes so consumed by the idea of having power that it ultimately leads to his death. He relies solely on the prophecies that the witches have given him to protect himself. Right before Macbeth is killed, he tells Macduff that he, “bears a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born” (IV. VIII.…

    • 1149 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To begin, Macbeth demonstrates his free will with the murder of King Duncan. During his first encounter with the Weird Sisters, Macbeth receives a prophecy. “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”…

    • 1165 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This introduces the distorted point of view the witches have in comparison to other characters. As Macbeth contemplates killing the king, he wonders to himself as to why he is so scared of his own idea: “I am Thane of Cawdor./If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/ Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/And make my seated heart knock at my ribs…./Present fears are less than horrible imaginings” (1.3.133-138). The supernatural interference of the…

    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Witches In Macbeth

    • 126 Words
    • 1 Pages

    To summarize, what happens to Macbeth throughout the play have to do with outside forces; specifically, the three Witches; Lady Macbeth; and Macduff. The three Witches are the initial element that causes Macbeth to descend into his tragic downfall. When the Witches tell Macbeth the first set of his prophesies, Macbeth soon believes in them. In addition, Lady Macbeth becomes the catalyst to negatively influence Macbeth to stay focused on the plot to assassinate Duncan. Similarly, Macduff is also the catalyst that completes Macbeth into Macbeth’s tragic downfall.…

    • 126 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays