Weïrd Sisters Influence On Macbeth

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the character Macbeth has an imagination that helps him commit a horrendous crime, but also makes it hard for him to commit it. First, Macbeth has an imagination that helps him by continuing to tell himself that he will be king. Macbeth is so blinded by being king that he loses sight of his life. In the play it is quoted, “If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me, without my stir.”

Throughout the play, the witches’ control over Macbeth developed into a strong tie with his choices. By prophesying to him, the witches essentially planted the seed that grew to dominate Macbeth’s mind. This is shown when Macbeth says, “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more” (1.3.70). Once Macbeth notices the prophecies becoming a reality, he starts to think about becoming king, thus fulfilling all the prophecies. Aside, Macbeth says,, “Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme” (1.3.128-129).

The idea of a single person or group having sole control of all events is very unlikely; three main characters Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the Witches have have a constant shift in control. Macbeth depends on the Witches and his wife, his initial self doubt is tragic flaw. Although Macbeth receives the title Thane of Cawdor for his gallantry in battle, he begins to trust the Witches predictions. Macbeth's self doubt, ambitions, and his success are manipulated as weapons against him. However macbeth isn’t an innocent in this story.

From the beginning of the play, Macbeth's ambition takes center stage. In Act 1, Scene 3, Macbeth utters the famous line, "If chance has me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir" (1.3.143-144). This quote displays his willingness to let fate play its part. Macbeth's subsequent actions, such as the murder of King Duncan, are not the result of schizophrenia but rather the consequences of his unbridled ambition. The play vividly portrays how a desire for power and dominance can corrupt even the noblest individuals.

As individuals, we have a certain degree of control over our own lives and the decisions we make. While external factors such as social pressure, cultural norms, and personal circumstances can influence us, ultimately, we have agency in choosing how we respond to those factors. This is portrayed through William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, the titular character Macbeth is the protagonist, a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. Consumed by ambition and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. However, his guilt and paranoia lead him to commit more murders in order to maintain his power, and he becomes increasingly tyrannical as his

William Shakespeare wrote a play called Macbeth, where the main character Macbeth is trying to get the most power he possibly can and kill everyone in his way. Macbeth's actions are caused by strong and maybe small emotions that guide his actions. Emotions like anger, guilt, sadness, greed, and many more. Macbeth’s character is very simple, he is a man that is given a very good opportunity for power and he takes it and doesn’t want to give it up. Macbeth's actions were mostly controlled by greed, anger, and guilt.

In Susan Snyder's work, "Macbeth, a modern perspective," she presents an interesting perspective on Lady Macbeth as a fourth witch, making connections between her character and the Weird Sisters. Lady Macbeth shares certain qualities with the Weird Sisters, which supports her being a fourth witch. Similar to the witches, she possesses an ability to influence Macbeth's actions and manipulate his ambitions. Lady Macbeth's persuasive language and her determination to spur her husband to commit murder can be compared to the spells and chants of the Weird Sisters. For instance, when she implores the spirits to "unsex" her and "fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty" (1.5.41-42), she exhibits a desire for supernatural powers akin to the witches.

The three evil witches are said to have control over his future. However, these three were just another mind game that should have been avoided. The witches chant “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (I.3.51). In other words, they are saying that Macbeth will be king in the near future. While it may be true the witches can suggest and predict, they never have complete control.

“Fillet of a fenny snake,in the cauldron boil and bake. Eye of newt and toe of frog,wool of bat and tongue of dog”(4.1.11-15). The Weird Sisters influenced Macbeth to bring trouble all through Scotland and murder numerous guiltless lives. The three witches love controlling others in the play. They wanted to botch up the lives of others.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare writes about a man named Macbeth, who has a very strong ambition to be the the king of Scotland. His credulousness led him into believing the prophecy from the three witches without thinking rigorously. Because of this prophecy, Macbeth is willing to do everything he can to gain the throne, even to the extreme of murdering someone. Shakespeare uses syntax, similes, and personification to convey the evolution of Macbeth’s insanity.

Macbeth’s knowledge of the prophecies told to him by the weird sisters, causes him to take fate into his own hands, even though he expects his actions to be pre-planned by fate. Macbeth’s first encounter with the weird sisters is when they tell him about the first prophecy and he starts his journey to power. The first witch says, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! (1.3.53).”

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.

Macbeth cannot control his paranoia and hallucinations, but he can control his actions towards the prophecies he 's given in the beginning. By the end of the play, his paranoia led to his lonely demise which showed how he believed in the prophecies. Macbeth’s control over his destiny reflects on what the play is teaching us overall. A way Macbeth is in control of his destiny is when he believes in the prophecies.

If chance will have me king, why, chance / may crown me /Without my stir” (1.3.149-156). A lot of people believe that life is already put together for them by a supernatural power. They think their actions, and decisions are made by that supernatural power. In Macbeth, the supernatural powers were the witches, however, in a modern society the supernatural power depends on one’s religion.

and obtains the title, which trigger an arrogant and self-absorbed thinking leading to madness and finally, death. The play seems to bring up the question, whether Macbeth is fully responsible of his own destiny, or under control of fate. In the first glance, the play seems to take rather fatalistic direction, meaning that we are powerless to make decisions as they are inevitably determined by supernatural power (Hugh 1)) It is due to the presence of supernatural forces throughout the whole play that systematically fulfills the prophecy; therefore the witches represent the idea of fate in the play. However, Shakespeare seems to rather intertwine fate with free will and perhaps even promotes the second philosophy as the play evolves.