Roles of the Witches in Macbeth Essay

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth’s visions and hallucinations play a significant role and contribute to the development of his character. In the play Macbeth, a man is driven to murder his king and his companions after receiving a fairly ambiguous prophecy told by three witches. Although the witches triggered the series of events that later aid Macbeth’s descent into complete insanity, Macbeth is portrayed from the very beginning as a fierce and violent soldier. As the play goes on, several internal conflicts inside of Macbeth become clear. After he performs several bloody tasks, the madness inside of Macbeth is unmistakably visible to everyone around him. As a result of this insanity, he sees visions and hallucinations. Each time Macbeth

Topic: How important are the witches to Macbeth? Discuss the effects of the witches on character, plot, themes and audience.

  The tragedy of Macbeth comes about because of a single event in his life. If that one moment, the meeting with the witches on the heath, had not happened then Macbeth would no doubt have gone on to be a loyal and respected subject of King Duncan and, later, King Malcolm. However, the meeting did happen and the powerful force of ambition was unleashed within Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It is the combination of these two factors, the meeting with the witches and Macbeth's own inner demons, that lead to tragedy, and make the play 'terrifying' in the Aristotelian sense.

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 three witches play a very important role in affecting the actions of Macbeth with their ability to steer him in the direction they desire. They not only use their supernatural powers but also prey on his greed and ambition.

In the old Shakespeare play Macbeth, women wear the pants, while the men wear the dresses, this is the theme throughout the play. It focuses on the marriage of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth takes the lead role, while she convinces her husband to kill Duncan. Shakespeare play concerning gender roles, shows the untraditional marriage in Scotland; what one sees is not what one gets. It also show how one starts is not how they end. The story of Macbeth shows power and betrayal. It shows power because it shows how one can take charge and get it done. It shows betrayal because he kill Duncan just to get the crown.

The three witches in the tragedy Macbeth are introduced right at the beginning of the play. The scene opens with the witches chanting three prophesies: Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis and King. These prophesies introduce Macbeth to his plan of defeat and to over power. Macbeth will eventually follow through in killing king Duncan. Some people believe that the witches had the ability to reverse the order of things. This brings into the play idea of fate and the role with which it has in the play. One can only wonder if Macbeth ever had a chance of doing what was right after he met with the witches. It is however, more realistic to believe that Macbeth was responsible for his own actions throughout the play and in the end,

It is also clear who is to be the target for the forces of evil; the

Macbeth, by the playwrite William Shakespeare, is one of his most amazing tragdies and additionally one of his most well known plays. The play has picked up infamy (being great known for some awful quality or deed.) for the mischances that occurred all around its numerous stagings to such an extent that it is otherwise called "the Scottish play" to keep from needing to say its name. The spooky Lore surrounding the showing of the play is fitting given the events that take place throughout the plot.

account thy love. Art thou afraid to be the same in thine own act and

The three witches happen to be the first characters to be introduced in Macbeth and were one of the main cause of the title character’s evil and unpredicted actions. Shakespeare used the stereotype about witches being ugly and wise women yielding evil powers and described them as the ‘Three Weird Sisters.’ They play the role of informants who convey a message to Macbeth, which eventually caused him to kill King Duncan as well as the Macduff and Banquo’s families. Their key skill, in fact, was to penetrate Macbeth’s troubled subconscious, which already contained a demonic desire for power and the throne. The witches just supplied the simple trigger; they have predicted that he would become the Thane of Cawdor and the King.

The play begins with the scene of three witches who prophesise that three events will occur to Macbeth. The Elizabethans believed strongly in supernatural, and associated the devil and

In Macbeth, one of the most tragic and well known plays, William Shakespeare changes women’s part in society. During this time period, women are known to be both mentally and physically weaker than men. Women are called to be only housewives. Shakespeare reflected the image of women in society by giving the men bigger leads in his plays. Only in a few of Shakespeare's plays did he give women strong leading roles. Macbeth is one of the few plays where women play a more powerful role than the men. In Macbeth, he gives the women unusual traits like manipulation and betrayal. In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, women like Lady Macbeth , the trio witches, and Lady Macduff portray non-feminine traits.

The supernatural in Macbeth is an integral part of the structure of the plot. It provides a catalyst for action, an insight to characters and enhances the impact of many key scenes. The supernatural appears in many varied forms; the ghost of Banquo, floating dagger, witches and prophetic apparitions. The witches were a symbol of evil, they were meant to give the play a haunting and an eerie atmosphere, they give the impression of supernatural because they can foretell the future and everything they say sounds like they are chanting a magic spell “Round about the cauldron go...charmed pot”– Act 4 scene 1. Another magical element is the floating dagger

This made Macbeth act in a wild way, making individuals suspicious of his activities. (Act III, Scene VI, ll.31-120). The utilization of the extraordinary has expanded the tension now that Macbeth is always depending on the predictions of the three witches. Hecate, the Queen of witches is irate with the three sisters for not including her in their experiences with Macbeth. The witches plan to lead Macbeth to his destruction by making him feel pompous. (Act III, Scene V, ll.1-35). Further on in the play, Macbeth discovers his way to the witches' hole and requests to comprehend what lies ahead for him. The three witches anticipate what he is going to ask and create the main spirit which is a furnished head. "Macbeth!, Macbeth!, Macbeth!, be careful with Macduff; be careful thane of Fife. Release me: enough." (Act VI, Scene I, ll.77-78). The primary phantom advises Macbeth to be careful with Macduff. At that point the second nebulous vision shows up (a grisly tyke), and says: "Be bleeding, striking, and unfaltering; snicker to disdain the force of man, for none of lady conceived might hurt Macbeth." (Act IV, Scene I,