How Does Shakespeare Use the Witches in Macbeth to Create Mood and Effect on an Audience?

Macbeth is a heroic character at the beginning of this play "unseaming men from the nave to the chops." He has much potential as a warrior, and has great love and respect for his country. Coming back from battle one day, he is greeted by three witches, who are known to have great and terrible powers to foresee the future. They meet him with predictions when they greet him as

This shows the audience that Banquo believes that the witches are telling them simple truths to deceive them and influence them to the path of evil. It also gives the audience the impression that Macbeth is hungry for power and fortune and is willing to take evil routes. In this part of the scene Shakespeare uses stage craft to create suspense. Macbeth moves ‘Aside’ when he refers to the witches so the audience can hear his thoughts.

The witches can predict the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, but they cannot control his destiny. Macbeth creates his own misery when he is driven by the guilt of his actions. Although the witches did have the power to accurately predict significant events in Macbeth's life, the actual ‘carrying out' of those prophecies was undertaken by Macbeth.

The witches manipulate Macbeth into becoming a murdering, power-hungry evil being, by telling him, “someday you’ll be king.” “I'll drain him dry as hay. Sleep shall neither night nor day Hang upon his penthouse lid. He shall live a man forbid. Weary sev'n nights, nine times nine, Shall he dwindle, peak, and pine.” (I,i) The witches use the two other prophecies to get in the mind of Macbeth. They say that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, and Banquo will be the father of future generations of kings. Though his bark cannot be lost, Yet it shall be tempest-tossed.They give Macbeth a false sense of security with the visions they perceive. These influential women are the ones that instill the idea of murdering the king. Macbeth lets greed get the best of him. The witches sway Macbeth into killing Duncan for the throne. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” (I,i) The Witches intend to turn Macbeth from his good ways, into something evil. As the only character that understands their cruelty, the witches want Macbeth dead. The witches give Macbeth the temptation to kill the king by telling him their prophecies. In the end,

Automatically the audience views Macbeth’s association with the witches to be an association with the devil. During the time of when this play was written witches were viewed in a totally different light than they are today. Back then witches were viewed as the devils spawn, or a piece of hell on earth. These characters interested the audience in a certain way that they had an evil effect on the play. The people were intrigued by the supernatural beings, they were curious to comprehend these characters. By including witches into the play it could have

The last prophecies that Macbeth hears are meant to assure his safety; however, he can not be too sure. The first apparition warns him of MacDuff, but the second and third apparitions counter that by making the illusion that Macbeth is perfectly safe and that nobody can harm him. Shakespeare highlights Macbeth’s continuous desire to be safe and to remain in power in his response to

At this point in the novel Macbeth is using the witches as a guideline to his life. The apparition that he cannot be harmed by anyone born of woman creates a false sense of security within himself. Even at this point, Macbeth still has a choice of whether or not to believe the witches. The weird sisters have not put any spell on him; they have just filled his greedy mind with a sense of security and power for kingship.

Assuming the role of stronger partner, she manipulates Macbeth with effectiveness by ignoring his objections about the murder. Refusing to understand his doubts and hesitations about the situation, she scorns his manhood by calling him a, “coward,” (1.7.43) and questions his virility, “What beast was’t, then, that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man,” (1.7.48-49) until Macbeth feels that he must commit the murder to prove himself.

If Macbeth didn’t know about this prophecy he would have happily took his position as Thane of Cawdor, but knowing he will be King drove him to commit murder. Macbeth was rapidly changed from an honorable general to an evil tyrant. “The witches did not tell him to commit murder; all that was necessary was for them to suggest the fact of the crown, and they could trust Macbeth to overcome the obstacles in his way just as they would have him” (Wiley, 45). This emphasizes the fact that the play is shaped by the supernatural. This lead to the murder of Duncan, then to get rid of his obstacles he kills the guards. The Witches also reveal “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” (1.3.67) to Banquo. This knowledge leads Macbeth to send Murderers to kill Banquo and his son. This is more evidence to show that the words of the witches construct the plays events.

When Shakespeare wrote his play, Macbeth in 1606 a large majority of people were interested in witchcraft. This is why Shakespeare made the witches and the witches’ prophecies play a major part in the storyline of the play. In the time of Macbeth witches were not thought to be supernatural beings themselves, but supposedly gained their powers by selling their souls to Satan. There can be little doubt that most of Shakespeare’s audience would have believed in witches, and for the purpose of the play, at least, Shakespeare also accepted their reality.

Particularly, in Macbeth, Witches appear to Macbeth and make present information in a way to make Macbeth feel confident by telling him he can not be defeated until trees move. Macbeth believes the witches as he responds “That will never be: Who can impress the forest, bid the tree Unfix his earth bound root?” (IV. i. 94-96). The witches altered information and convinced Macbeth that he was able to go against his fate by portraying that Macbeth that was

Macbeth understands that the witches "have more in them than mortal knowledge," and his trust in the witches is made stronger because out of the three prophecies, "two truths are told" (1.5.3) (1.3.140). If it hadn’t been for the prophecy that the witches gives to Banquo and Macbeth, Lady Macbeth would never persuade Macbeth into killing Duncan to become King; and Macbeth never would plot to kill Banquo as a result of jealousy because of Banquo’s prophecy, and mistrust of Banquo after Macbeth kills Duncan. Macbeth relies on the witches throughout the play. Knowing that his sins are so large and he is "in blood / Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more," he knows that he must consult the witches again because he knows they will give him advice, and confidence for him to continue making poor decisions. (3.4.169) Again the witches manipulate Macbeth even more, by showing him three apparitions, that make him feel over confident about his bright future as king. These apparitions give Macbeth false confidence, and will result in him making a decision that leads him to failure. So when he finds out these predictions he damns "all those that trust them", ironically damning him, because he has trust in the witches up until this point. (4.1.158) The only reason why Macbeth ever trusts and wants the witches’ prophecies is so he can gain more confidence and feel more powerful.

They have a malicious attitude towards the human race. The witches themselves believe that they are greater than man, and use each man’s fatal flaw against them. For example, they prey on Macbeth’s ambition. They speak to him in rhyme coupled with foreshadowing to further irritate him: “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to the, Thane of Glamis / . . . Thane of Cawdor / . . . that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.51-53). They confuse Macbeth by giving him pieces of his future; yet let him ponder over the prophecies. They manipulate him by their choice of words and usage of double speak. Though it appears that their rhyming gives them a frivolous tone, it actually intensifies their sinister attitude towards Macbeth. However, their continuous use of rhyme allows them to have the most complex rhetoric of all the characters. Later they further confuse him by sending an apparition in the form of a bloody child who says: “The power of man, for none woman born / Shall harm Macbeth” (4.1.91-92). The Witches give him false hope, as he believes that no man can kill him. However, they send more apparitions after him, each a mirrored image of Banquo, who has been haunting Macbeth. Therefore, it is obvious that the Witches have no sympathy for humans, especially Macbeth. They enjoy feasting on his defeat. The witches’ attitude towards

The three witches advance the use of dramatic irony throughout the entire play. First, the witches reveal to Macbeth that he can achieve the role of being king. In Act One, the witches say, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (1.3.50). Macbeth gullibly believes the prophecy, and from here on, his motives and ambitions change. Though he does eventually take the role as king, it does not result in the life he wished to have. Shortly after Macbeth is enthroned; the witches reveal three apparitions about him that cause him to believe he will remain a powerful king. The first apparition is an armed head that symbolizes that Macbeth should only beware of Macduff. The second shows a bloody child that means nobody born of a woman can ever harm Macbeth. The third is a child holding a tree which depicts that, “Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him” (4.1.87-90). These three apparitions boost the confidence in the king, and he believes he has nothing to fear. The predictions end up being true, but not at all what is expected. A summary, written by David Schlachter, explains how the witches bring suspense into the play. Schlachter says, “This irony would make the audience mistrust the witches in the back of their minds, and therefore, also put a vague fear over the whole play because of the realization of the witches’ relentless sinister determination to disrupt peace and order in Scotland.” The ironic event that takes place through this is what happens towards the end of the play. At the end, Macduff reveals that he is not born of woman; therefore, he can kill

The play, ‘Macbeth’ is a tragedy. The traditional specification of a tragedy requires the tragic hero to be a person who holds a high position who must oppose a conflicting force, either externally