essay on the three witches in macbeth

Witches Effect in Macbeth Length: 1144 words (3.3 double-spaced pages) Rating: Red (FREE)   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Topic: How important are the witches to Macbeth? Discuss the effects of the witches on character, plot, themes and audience. In the play of 'Macbeth' by William Shakespeare the witches have an important effect on Macbeth, the characters, the plot, the theme and the audience. They help construct the play and without them it would have been a totally different story line. The three weird sisters influence Macbeth in his acts, they effect characters lives, orientate the plot, they are related to most of the themes and appeal the audience's attention. The witches have a strong effect on Macbeth's character; they highly influence him in his accomplishments and awake his ambitions. They give Macbeth a false sense of security with their apparitions of truths. Instead they prove to be harmful for Macbeth who takes too much comfort and confidence in his interpretation of the truths. They are the ones who plant the actual idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth's mind. But if it were only the witches prophecies, then Macbeth surely would not have murdered the king. 'When you durst to do it, then you were a man,' (Macbeth, Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 7) Lady Macbeth's constant harassment pushed Macbeth and made him commit all this evil. When you reason things out by yourself you tend to now what is right and what is wrong, a conscience. But with the outside influence from the witches he thinks that that is his destiny and he must do everything to fulfill it. One can wonder if Macbeth ever had a chance of doing what was right after he met with the witches. He is overthrown and killed. Through his own ambitions, the ambition of his wife and the witches' prophesies, Macbeth has caused his own destruction and downfall. We can now.
You could point out that the witches symbolize the dark side of human nature.  They are absolutely evil.we know that from the beginning when they meet and choose Macbeth to be their plaything.  They live to torture and harass.  While they do not physically create the downfall of any human, they do lead the humans to fall by their own demise by way of misleading illusions.  The witches represent the evil that is in Macbeth which does not manifest itself until the prophecy is made--Macbeth will be King.  The witches plant the seed, Lady Macbeth waters it with encouragement, and from there it grows wildly on its own within Macbeth's heart as he plans the murders of Banquo, Fleance, and the MacDuff family to secure his throne.
Extracts from this document. Discuss the Role of the Witches in Macbeth 04/05/10 Introduction The witches are used to make an evil genre to the play. The witches represent chaos, conflict and darkness, which are features of tragedy also the witches are called the 'Wyrd Sister'. They are also witness and agents to Macbeth's downfall, if Macbeth hadn't believe them, he might not have killed Duncan. The witches had supernatural powers like controlling the weather, due to the fact every time the witches are present in the scene there is always thunder or lightening which creates a spooky atmosphere. The 'Wyrd Sisters' can see the future, like when they tell Macbeth that he will be Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and The king. The play begins with three witches meeting in a 'desolate place'. They agree to gather again when the battle is over and meet Macbeth. They seem to know the future and chant strange words, creating a very spooky atmosphere. Their presence in the first scene creates an evil atmosphere there is thunder and lightening.read more. l'th name of truth. This shows that Banquo is telling Macbeth not to believe the evil witches straight away. The witches vanish into mid-air showing their supernatural powers through out the play. Lastly when Ross and Lennox tell Macbeth that he is Thane of Cawdor , Macbeth starts to believe the witches predictions and start to think that he will become king. The witches' prophecies affect Macbeth behavior firstly. Macbeth considers the moral issue surrounding the witches' predictions. He says, If good why do l'yeild to that. Suggestions, whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and knock at my ribs against the use of nature? The Thane of Cawdor is horrified of the idea of killing Duncan so he can become the king. He eventually does kill Duncan to become the king; however he is not satisfied he say, Upon my head they placed a.
In many of Shakespeare’s plays there exists relationships between characters; these relationships in many cases influence the direction in which the play goes. For example, in the “The Merchant Of Venice” the elopement of Lorenzo and Jessica is what triggers Shylock’s rage and blind desire for revenge, which sets the stage and the necessary atmosphere that is required for the climax in the court scene. Likewise in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” the everlasting relationship between Macbeth and the three witches is the foundation of the entire plot. When Macbeth meets the witches he views them as honest and believes on them quickly. The witches having established contact with the protagonist, indirectly affect and transform his beloved wife. Towards his demise Macbeth finally realizes how the witches have heinously betrayed him. From the very start of the play the witches establish how important Macbeth is to their evil scheme: “There to meet with Macbeth”. It is from this moment that a permanent link is established between Macbeth and the witches. “A drum, a drum, Macbeth doth come”. The witches use extraordinary equivocatory language when speaking: “hail to thee Thane Glamis/ hail to thee thane of Cawdor/ All hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter”. Macbeth is confused, he is the thane of Glamis but not of Cawdor, and he is not the king. When Macbeth receives news of his promotion he immediately believes in the witches’ prophecies: “The greatest is behind-Thanks for your pains”. Macbeth is also very fond of the witches as they awaken in him his dormant vaulting ambition to be king. He cannot forget the meeting that he had with them: “My thought, whose murder is yet but fantastical, shakes so my very single state of man that function is smothered in surmise, and is but what is not”. Macbeth very quickly believes whole heartily without any shred of proof , it is.
Character Analysis Like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen twins pre-2004, the three weird sisters never appear apart, and they're always talking over and with each other—so we're going to consider them as a single unit. And the question of the day is this: are they simply prophets? or do they actually set the play's events in motion?Enter Three WitchesWhen we encounter them in the play's opening scene, we're not sure where they've come from, who/what they are, or what they have in mind when they say they plan to meet Macbeth. What we do know is that they've gathered amidst thunder and lightening and move about the fog and filthy air, which seems just as murky and mysterious as they are. Even Banquo and Macbeth are unsure about the sisters' identity when they meet them on the heath:[ ] What are theseSo withered and so wild in their attire,That look not like th' inhabitants o' th' Earth,And yet are on 't?—Live you? Or are you aughtThat man may question? (1.3.40-44)In response, weird sisters deliver the infamous lines that set the tone for the play: Fair is foul and foul is fair (1.1.9). In other words, nothing, including the identity of the weird sisters, is certain in this play.WitchcraftThe play's subheadings and stage directions refer to the sisters as witches. Understandably, given that they spend most of their time gathered around a bubbling cauldron, chanting, casting spells, conjuring visions of the future, and goading Macbeth into murder by making accurate predictions of the future (before they vanish into thin air, of course). The witches also do some interesting things with Eye of newt and toe of frog, / Wool of bat and tongue of dog (4.1.14-15). At the same time, their speech has a sing-song quality to it, so their chanting ends up sounding a lot like a scary nursery rhyme. Depending on how committed you are to believing in witches, that can make them sound super.