The Three Witches 'Villain In Macbeth'

Summary: Three Witches meet in a barren, open place filled with thunderstorms to discuss the future and their next meeting. Analysis: The play Macbeth begins in a heath, that is to say, an open area covered in rough grass and inhabited only by a few small wild animals. A heath is usually a desolate, lonely area, as it is unable to be cultivated.

From the start Macbeth knows the his sons are not destined to become kings but, he thinks that he is better than faith. Thinking that he knows better than the witches Macbeth order a killing spree to all potential challengers to his illegitimate rule. He order the murderers to attack and kill his best friend Banquo and his sons Fleance so the prophecy can’t come true. After ward he sends his soldier to the castle of Macduff were the kill everything and everyone in sight. In his trying to beat faith he creates the force lead by the British and Macduff that will eventually destroy him.

The Three Witches' prophecy caused Macbeth’s initial corruption, planting the thought of murder into Macbeth’s heart. They told Macbeth that he would be Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King of Scotland (I.iii.49-50). This immediately gave Macbeth ambition to get what he wants,

This made him think he already had power, and that's where most of his mistakes were made in the first place. The witches were a big part of Macbeth's fall and they played a big role by giving him

Macbeth was the Thane of Cawdor but he wanted to be king more than anything. The witches had told him that he would one day be king but he did not know how long that would take so when King Duncan had been invited to stay the night at his house he exclaimed that “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,/ shakes so my single state of man/ that function is smother 'd in surmise,/ and nothing is but what is not”(1.3.52-55). He felt that if he were to kill King Duncan that he would have a better chance of becoming king. Though the witches had never told him that someone would need to get murdered for him to become king, his ambition tempted him to quicken this process the only way he felt he could. This was the beginning of the murderer that the witches had created with the fortune telling.

Firstly, the witches’ revelations prompted Macbeth to murder his loyal companions. When the three witches spoke of Macbeth becoming king, it sparked the idea that this could be a realistic goal. On page 13, Act I, scene iii, Third Witch created insight, "All hail, Macbeth, who will soon be King." After sharing

The witches in Macbeth are seen as mysterious creatures putting thoughts in his head and bringing out the true evil in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. “When shall we three meet again” says the first witch in act 1 scene 1. In act 1 scene 3 the three witches greet macbeth as “Thane of Glamis” (as he is), “Thane of Cawdor”, and “king hereafter.” They then promise Banquo that he will father kings, then the three witches disappear. This information that the witches gave Macbeth poisned his mind making him greedy, and bringing out the true evil in Macbeths soul.

The three witches come early on in the play, with a very powerful proposition for Macbeth. Whilst the three witches come with great assurance of his supremacy in the future, he is full of doubt. Throughout play, one can see the great impact the three witches have on Macbeth and his wife. Kranz states that “Macbeth's query about the accuracy of his remembrance of the witches' prophecies, moreover, refers not only to the repeated "words" themselves but to the "tune". Macbeth mocks the witches speech.

At the start of the play, Macbeth visits the witches with Banquo at the closing of the battle. The witches speak to Macbeth and Banquo and get the idea of a prophecy in Macbeth’s mind. “All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis./ All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor./ All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.46-48). When the witches get the prophecy in Macbeth’s mind, he believes it will come true and misunderstands the prophecy of the witches. Although the witches make Macbeth believe in the prophecy of becoming the King, Macbeth is responsible for his downfall because they do not recommend Macbeth to kill Duncan.

The witches are clearly the true villains, for they caused the downfall of Macbeth by telling him his future. Macbeth was manipulated into the killings and the people who manipulated him are the witches. The witches told macbeth that he will be king, so he later murdered Duncan to claim the throne for himself. The witches then told Macbeth and Banquo, “Your descendants will be kings, even though you will not be one.”(1.1.51)

Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, analyzes the tragic downfall of a man who pursued his prophecy given to him by three witches, and suffered the downfall because of it. Told his power was inevitable, Macbeth explores the idea of murdering the King to achieve his goal of becoming King himself. Macbeth continually faces this, contemplating the moral issue of committing murder to in turn, fulfill his powerful destiny. While facing this internal conflict, Lady Macbeth developes an influence over Macbeth as well. Driven by her own desire to be Queen, Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to commit the murder, by challenging his manhood and often reminding him that it is, in fact, his destiny.

In play Macbeth, Shakespeare reveals that an individual’s great desire for power will lead him/her to perform consequential deeds that will scar his/her conscience and change the outcome of his/her life eternally. Macbeth is informed by three witches that he is going to become king and this initiates Macbeth’s thought of becoming powerful. Macbeth doesn’t act on his thoughts until he tells his wife, Lady Macbeth, that he could become king. Lady Macbeth is extremely power hungry and does all she can to convince Macbeth to be just as desirable as her. Together, they come up with a plan to murder King Duncan, so that Macbeth can become king like the witches foretold.

The witches played a colossal role in Macbeth’s downfall and ultimately, his death. Since the first part of the prophecy stated Macbeth as being the new Thane of Cawdor, he believed he could continue to become king as well. In knowing his prediction, Macbeth also realized that since the king was in good health, so he would have to kill the king himself. For the rest of his prophecy to come true he would have to kill the king for himself. “All hail, Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter!”

The Witches play a crucial role in the development of the narrative; their actions contribute greatly to the downwards spiral of Macbeth’s life and sanity, and the murder of King Duncan. Their introduction to the play establishes a supernatural element that is consistent throughout the play, allowing for further exploration of ideas such as the destruction of oneself as a result of being overambitious. Shakespeare creates a stormy, bleak, and ominous atmosphere when the Witches are first introduced, successfully associating them with a negative atmosphere. It is through their prophecies that Macbeth’s lust for the throne is encouraged, consequently leading him to his own demise and destruction of Scotland. The

Since, he killed Duncan the prophecy becomes true and his tragic flaw is finally shown to the audience. Macbeth's tragic flaw in the play is him becoming power hungry and overly