An Analysis of the Use of Threes in William Shakespeare's "Macbeth"

Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, is a play that transcends time due to its timeless and universal themes. The themes presented in this play are just as relevant to modern audiences as they would have been to contemporary Elizabethan audiences. The play has been able to maintain its textual integrity, withstanding the fact that it is now performed out of its original context to remain a successful play for modern audiences. The issues of heroism, abuse of power and the deceptiveness of appearances are all key within the play, conveyed through the use of dramatic and literary techniques, are issues which still resonate with contemporary audiences. Shakespeare has tested the parameters of the conventional tragedy that was extremely popular during his lifetime and in doing so has created text, which is still relevant today.

    There is much speculation as to who the third murderer is who assisted in the slaying of Banquo. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and one of the Weird sisters are a few of the best candidates as to filling this role. Each of these three main characters has their own motive as to why they would want to join in on the assassination. Out of these three possibilities of filling this third murderer's role, all have reasons as to why they could or could not fill the position.

mind: (First Witch) “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!” (Second Witch) “All hail,

   Although Shakespeare had a great flare for plot material, he often had trouble with loose ends. Many times, seemingly important people will disappear from the script; they are never seen again. And other times, characters will suddenly appear out of nowhere. One such inconsistency is the identity of the third murderer in Macbeth.

The first mention the audience receives about Macbeth, is from the three witches at the very beginning of they play “there to meet with Macbeth.” The fact that the witches are the first ones to speak of Macbeth is indicative of his personality, as there is always a feeling that there is something off about him, something wicked at the root of his being. By linking Macbeth to the witches, Shakespeare indicates that there is something evil within Macbeth from the very beginning. He develops Macbeth’s personality through his encounters with the witches, who represent evil and disturbance throughout the play. When Macbeth hears the witch’s prophesy, “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, than of Glamis! All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” he is intrigued at the prospect of becoming King. Shakespeare uses this repetition to show the audience how much Macbeth will gain by listening to them. He realises there are only two ways for him to become king; wait out Duncan’s life, or murder. Macbeth is filled with ambition at the possibility

In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth evil is conveyed in many ways through characters, themes and settings. Many themes are explored in detail contributing hugely to the sense of evil with characters being used along with these themes to create evil within the characters. These themes and characters are shown in different settings at different times consequently affecting the mood and atmosphere of the play.

The supernatural elements presented in The Tragedy of Macbeth each demonstrate hints of wickedness or evil. For example, the three witches. When presented in the story, their presence always gives off bad vibes. In the exposition of the tragedy, the First Witch asks, “When shall we three meet again? / In thunder, lightning, or in rain?” (I:I, 1-2). The use of “thunder, lightning, or in rain” indicates to the reader of the malicious nature of the three witches. Upon encountering the three witches, Macbeth is astounded. Their prophecies alarm him, causing him to ask what they mean by “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (I:iii, 50). Many times, the paradoxes used by the witches confusing. In one scene, the witches appeal in favor of Banquo. The use of their paradox, “Not so happy, yet much happier,” indicates their intention of portraying things not as they really seem. (I:iii, 66). Meeting the three witches is Macbeth’s first step in losing his sanity. He struggles to differentiate what is real and what is not.

Throughout the play “Macbeth” Shakespeare uses multiple examples of strong diction, paradox, metaphors, and imagery to demonstrate the theme that fate is inevitable. These examples also help emphasize that the witches are in control of Macbeth's severe and hostile actions throughout the tragic play. Without the witches prophecies the idea of murder would have never crossed Macbeth’s mind. After the witches informed Macbeth that he would soon become king he was willed to do anything to make sure this bizarre prophecy would come true.

It is human nature to be intrigued by all things mystical and dangerous. We fear the unknown but seek it nonetheless out of greed. Most of Shakespeare’s works hold an element of the supernatural and the play Macbeth is no exception. In this play we see a contemporary morality that warns of the dangers of trafficking with instruments of darkness; the witches in the play prophesize of Macbeths future as king, and Macbeth blinded by his hunger for power fails to recognize that the witches prophecies are luring him to evil . In act 1 scène 3 we see the effect that the excitement of the prophecies has had on his imagination as he begins to contemplate murdering the king. As Macbeth gets closer to

At the very beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is provoked by the letter she receives by Macbeth and starts plotting the murder of Duncan. She also wishes she were a man such that she could commit the murder all by herself saying so in Act 1 Scene 5, “Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty” (Macbeth 1.5.36-52). She appeals to these spirits to remove all aspects of her femininity and seeks to gain power through the prophecy of the witches. Her fear about the ability of her husband to commit the murder is subdued in her designated gender. Lady Macbeth manages her feminine power through her sensuality and pretended weakness through her fainting streak at the notice of Duncan’s death. Manipulation, usually through sexuality is often depicted as the source of women’s power still Lady Macbeth uses this power of hers to commit murder, a masculine demonstration of power. Lady Macbeth in her soliloquy about the planning of Duncan’s death refers to her husband as an individual who plays honestly and does not engage in wrongdoing.

  A notable point within Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is the use of the three witches in the opening scene.  The number of witches for a contemporary audience can go unnoticed.  However in the time that Shakespeare the symbolic meaning of the number three was important, as it symbolized unluckiness and when remembering the fear of the unnatural and being unlucky (epitomized by such historical events as the rage of witch trials within Britain).  This is not the only symbolism within the play, the use of the disparity between light and dark is an important concept.  We can perhaps see the parallel between the horror movies of today, and the images of witchcraft, murder and ghosts of the past.

William Shakespeare was a genius, conducting literature in his own way. Many call him a literary genius, having not only created over 1700 new words and phrases to the English language, but also writing 37 plays, two epics, and over 100 sonnets that are timeless classics. His use of figurative language and psychologically complex characters are what drove Shakespeare to be one of the best writers in known history (Crockett n.p.). Macbeth, a renaissance tragedy of timeless behavior, truly shows the complexity of mind that Shakespeare interpreted into all of his plays, as the topic of the main character’s actions either are being controlled by a supernatural external

Dramatic techniques play significant roles in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, allowing for the idealistic perception of the historical audience to develop into a further empathy with the characters in Macbeth. Shakespeare achieves this by playing on beliefs held in that era, such as the Great Chain of Being, and interweaves them to bring further emphasis to his themes of ambition, masculinity and the conflicting moralities/idealisms in fair and foul actions/in what can be defined as fair or foul.

In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth, a once honored and valiant Thane, abandons all virtue after three meddling witches prophesize his ascent to the Scottish throne. Consumed by his ambition and encouraged by his malevolent wife, Macbeth sets forth on a downward spiral of murderous treason and tyranny that subsequently leads to his own demise. This Shakespearean tragedy explores betrayal, manipulation and the blood lust that adjoins a relentless climb for power. Hovering behind the narrative are various supernatural forces and visions that seem to be present during each terrible act. Subsequently, a question prevails whether Macbeth’s downfall is result of his own flaw or if these forces possess a vice-like hold over

Not only is Macbeth by far the shortest of William Shakespeare’s great tragedies, but it is also anomalous in some structural respects. Like Othello (1604) and only a very few other Shakespearean plays, Macbeth is without the complications of a subplot. (Bradley, 1905) Consequently, the action moves forward in a swift and inexorable rush. More significantly, the climax the murder of Duncan takes place very early in the play. As a result, attention is focused on the various consequences of the crime rather than on the ambiguities or moral dilemmas that had