How Did The Witches Influence Macbeth's Downfall

Everyone has a tendency towards evil, but it is only under the right circumstances and with the right influences that it can be brought out. In the William Shakespeare play Macbeth, the witches and Lady Macbeth are the two major influences that corrupt Macbeths mind and behaviour. The influences of the witches and of Lady Macbeth’s downfall are intense because of the techniques they use to gain their trust, and because of how they maintain his. However it is the witches who is ultimately the larger catalyst towards Macbeth’s rise and fall.
Both the witches and Lady Macbeth are very capable at gaining the trust of Macbeth, though both use very different methods. The way the witches go about influencing Macbeth is more of a deceitful and cryptic …show more content…
Lady Macbeth is trying to guilt Macbeth by showing her loyalty to him. Lady Macbeth claims that she would kill her own child in an instant if Macbeth asked her too. This breaks down Macbeth’s ambiguity enough for him to instead ask questions for her plan. All attempts to attacks Macbeth’s character usually leads to Macbeth try to prove that he is not what she says he is. With Macbeth’s lack of assertiveness both the witches and Lady Macbeth use this flaw to gain control of him and lead him into action. The witches and Lady Macbeth both have very influential effects on Macbeth but the witches are the bigger catalyst towards Macbeth’s downfall. Lady Macbeth may have had dramatic effects on Macbeth’s actions such as the plan to kill Duncan but eventually she became useless to Macbeth as he began to do everything himself. Even her first actions at controlling Macbeth were influenced by the witches. Lady Macbeth shows her desire for kingship after reading the letter,
“Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor,
Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter,
Thy letters have transported me beyond
This ignorant present, and I feel