Essay on The Power of the Witches in Shakespeares Macbeth

The Power of the Witches in Shakespeares Macbeth 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 Macbeths own inner demons, that lead to tragedy, and make the play terrifying in the Aristotelian sense. The three witches are certainly responsible for initiating the events that lead to Macbeths tragedy.†¦show more content†¦There can be little doubt that the witches are exploiting the situation for their own evil ends and are using honest trifles to win Macbeth to harm, but given the limited nature of their powers, it is hard to say that they are responsible for Macbeths later actions. Like the witches, Lady Macbeth is crucial to the actual accomplishment of Macbeths crime. Without her, Macbeth would not have carried out the murder in the first place - we shall go no further in this business - and without her timely interventions in gilding the grooms faces with blood and conveniently fainting when Macduffs questions become too insistent, it is unlikely that he would have got away with it. She seems to be just as ambitious as her husband and the plan to kill Duncan is largely hers. She overcomes Macbeths scruples by both encouragement and scorn: Macbeth Prythee, peace! I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none. Lady Macbeth What beast wast, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Also like the witches, Lady Macbeth calls explicitly on the power of evil and asks to be filled with direst cruelty in order to overcome the milk o human kindness that is too prevalentShow MoreRelatedImportance Of Shakespeare s Macbeth 1519 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Witches in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Throughout all of history, witches are known for practicing magic and creating prophecies to predict any future. In any scene involving witches, it is important to know their role in the play, whether they change the outcome of the play or simply influenced it, and the supernatural features the play comes along with in its time. In No Fear Shakespeare Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the play starts out with the three witches. 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