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Are The Witches To Blame In Macbeth

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In folklore, witches are regarded as evil doers who lead mortals down dark paths. For example, in Elizabethan times witches were seen as agents of chaos and embodiments of the devil. In the play Macbeth, the three witches are most responsible for all of the tragic crimes committed. The witches planted the seed of ambition into Macbeth’s mind, manipulated him by telling twisted truths and tampered with the natural order. For these reasons, they are most to blame and without their interference there would be no story. The witches instigated all of the tragic events in the play when they ignited the flame of Macbeth’s ambition. It all starts with their first prophecy when they appear before him and say, “All hail Macbeth…Thane of Cawdor/ All …show more content…

To listen to the witches is comparable in the play to eating of “the insane root, that takes reason prisoner.” (I iii 82-83) After being manipulated by the witches, Macbeth begins to go mad and lose his moral functions. For example, through an apparition the witches tell him, “Be bloody, bold and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” (IV i 78-80) The sisters trick Macbeth into believing that he is invincible, giving him confidence to perform more crimes without fear. Macbeth receives considerable encouragement from the prophecies that are recited to him by the three sisters, which gives him ammunition to start attacking targets. Macbeth is completely taken in by their twisted truths and even says, “…I cannot taint with fear. What’s the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of woman?” (V ii 3-4) This shows that Macbeth is fully setting store by the witches’ prophecies and his every decision is being dictated by what they have told him of the future. However, once the witches’ deceit becomes evident, Macbeth admits to having been completely tricked by them when he says, “And be these juggling fiends no more believed/ That palter with us in a double sense.” (V viii 19-20) The witches fooled him with their duplicity and manipulated him into bringing about his own downfall and the destruction of

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