Often debated is the role of the witches in Macbeth s life, whether they controlled him, or merely provided him with insight. The witches are introduced at the beginning of the play and give Macbeth three prophecies. First, that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, second that he will become Thane of Glams, and finally he will become King. There is the possibility that once Macbeth met with the witches, they controlled every move he made. It is more realistic, however, to believe that Macbeth was responsible for his own actions throughout the play, rather than being controlled by the witches.
The witches could foretell the future, therefore adding temptation, but they could not control his destiny. Macbeth’s misery is driven by his own sense of guilt. This causes him to become insecure and paranoid about his actions, which in turn drives him to commit more murders. The three Witches are only responsible for the introduction of these ideas into Macbeth’s head, not for his actions throughout the play.
Macbeth s motivation is dominated more by Lady Macbeth than the witches. Lady Macbeth is shown early in the play as an ambitious woman with a single purpose: to manipulate Macbeth. This is shown in the line “That I may pour my spirits in thine ear. (I, V, 26) She is also, however, selfless, and wants what is best for her husband. Before the speech that Lady Macbeth gives in act one scene five, Macbeth has resolved not to go through with the killing of the king. However, Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth’s self-esteem by playing on his masculinity and his bravery. This then convinces Macbeth to go through with the murder. Macbeth is easily swayed just like a child may be. Lady Macbeth knows this and acts on it accordingly. Although Macbeth has the final say in whether or not to go through with the initial killing, he loves Lady Macbeth, and wants to make her happy.
Lady Macbeth plays the dominating role in their relationship, which is shown, in her soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 5. It seems that she can convince him to do anything as long as she presses the right buttons. On the other hand, as the play progresses, and Duncan is killed, there is a reversal of natural order: Macbeth becomes the dominating partner and Lady Macbeth becomes weak, only a shadow of her former self.
Ambition plays a large role in this tragedy. It is the combination of Macbeth’s fierce ambition and the initial prophecies, which put the very idea of killing Duncan into his head. And if it were not for Lady Macbeth’s ambition, which drives her to try to convince Macbeth that he needs to kill Duncan, he may have never done so. It is Lady Macbeth who states “Thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition. (I, V, 13-14) And Macbeth states that it is his besetting sin: “I have no spur; to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition. (I, IV, 25-27) Macbeth’s continued ambition is present in his wanting to have a succession of kings after him.
It is this ambition that gets him into so much trouble initially, and once Macbeth kills for the first time, he has no choice but to continue to cover up his wrong doing. If he does not continue killing he risks losing everything he has worked so hard for. Everyone is responsible for ones own destiny. This is an essential theme in this tragedy.
Macbeth chooses to gamble with his soul. He is responsible for everything he does and must take total accountability for his actions. Macbeth is the one who made the final decision to carry out his actions. The killing of Duncan starts an unstoppable chain of events in the play that ends with the suicide of Lady Macbeth, and finally the murder of Macbeth himself. In the beginning he had all the qualities of an honorable gentleman who could have become anything if it were not for his fatal flaw. Unfortunately, ambition overrode his sense of morality, causing his ultimate downfall. Banquo warns Macbeth not to trust the witches prophecies, but he pays no attention. Even when the second set of prophecies Macbeth receives begin to show their faults, he blames the witches for deceiving him with “half-truths. While the witches are not responsible for the actions of Macbeth, they are responsible for putting the ideas into his head, which in turn fire up Macbeth’s ambition and lead him to a disastrous and untimely end.
336
Другие работы по теме:
Macbeth Essay Research Paper MacbethIf it hadn
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper Macbeth If it hadn’t been for the three witches, Macbeth would never have killed Duncan nor Banquo. Macbeth, also would not have been killed my Macduff. The three witches are the
Macbeth Essay Research Paper MacBeth the protagonist
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper MacBeth, the protagonist, in the play MacBeth by William Shakespeare was a dynamic character. He changed from an admired, loyal, courageous, loved man in the beginning to a tragic, jealous, selfish character in the end. MacBeth is both good and evil, even though he used more evil than good.
Power In Macbeth Essay Research Paper There
Power In Macbeth Essay, Research Paper There are many different types of power which a person may have. Some of the time, however, the person in that power is not the best person to be in that power. This is especially true in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Throughout the course of the play, the Three Witches and Lady Macbeth are the people with the most power over Macbeth’s life.
MacBeth Essay Research Paper The play
MacBeth Essay, Research Paper The play “MacBeth” written by profound author and playwright William Shakespeare is a story of good, evil, power, and envy. MacBeth ,who is the main character of this play, is a courageous, brave, ruthless, and sometimes asinine soldier who also carries the title of Thane of Glamis.
Macbeth And Witches Essay Research Paper Macbeth
Macbeth And Witches Essay, Research Paper Macbeth by William Shakespeare tells the story of how one mans love of power leads him to murder and madness. Macbeth is a great soldier, a man that is fit
Macbeth Essay Research Paper Lady MacBeth hated
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper Lady MacBeth hated Duncan when he came to the land. She hated the fact that he stood a chance of being king over her husband which ment she stood a chance of not being queen. Knowing this,
Ambition In Macbeth Essay Research Paper In
Ambition In Macbeth Essay, Research Paper In Shakespearean times, ambition was seen to be wrong, as it went against the natural order. You had to accept yourself for who you were. People were not encouraged to better themselves.In act I scene I, the three witches plan to meet Macbeth upon a heath. They announce the major theme of the play: appearances can be deceptive.”Fair is foul, and foul is fair” line 10.Macbeth in Act I echoes this in Scene three,”So foul and fair a day I have not seen”These contradictions introduce a feeling of opposing forces at war.
Analysis Of Witches In Macbeth Essay Research
Paper 1/7/97 Analysis of Witches in Macbeth In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare the three female witches play an important part in the development of the story. This essay will analyze the
Macbeth Essay Essay Research Paper MacBeth EssayWe
Macbeth Essay Essay, Research Paper MacBeth Essay We are sympathetic towards MacBeth for various reasons. Reasons like that he never wanted to kill Duncan and the witches predictions were to tempting. Or that his wife almost shamed into doing it to prove to her that he was a man. After hearing those reasons you cannot forget about the pressure he received from Lady MacBeth’s degrading insults.
The Woman
’s Role In Macbeth Essay, Research Paper The Woman’s Role In Macbeth Jason M. William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, is a play full of betrayal and deception. It is a story about Macbeth’s desires to achieve greatness and become king.
Macbeth Essay Research Paper The most important
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper The most important emotions that we see in Macbeth are ambition, remorse, and fear. They are significant because they provoke Macbeth to do evil and cruel things. Ambition takes control of him earlier in the play when the witches tell him he is going to be king. After he already has done the deed, killed Duncan, he is remorseful for his actions.
Macbeth Essay Research Paper A Macbeth and
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper A. Macbeth and Banquo, Scottish generals, are returning after crushing a rebellion against Duncan ( King of Scotland ), when they are met by three witches. The witches
Macbeth Essay Research Paper Macbeth EssayFrom the
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper Macbeth Essay From the very beginning Macbeth has been a victim of the witches? prophecy and Lady Macbeth?s ambition. With no support he soon succumbed to the pressures of each.
Macbeth 17 Essay Research Paper In every
Macbeth 17 Essay, Research Paper In every story, there is always a protagonist, one who we blame for whatever takes place. In the play Macbeth, there are many different
Who Is Most To Blame For Macbeth
’s Downfall? Essay, Research Paper Who Is Most To Blame For Macbeth’s Downfall? I have chosen to write my essay about the cause of Macbeth’s downfall. I believe Macbeth had an immense build up of hatred inside him waiting to be
Macbeth Essay Research Paper In Macbeth I
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper In Macbeth, I believe the story would have been completely different. Why? If it hadn?t been for the three witches, Macbeth would never have killed Duncan nor Banquo.
Macbeth Character Analyse Essay Research Paper Macbeth
Macbeth Character Analyse Essay, Research Paper Macbeth Character analyse In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is introduced to us as a hero by clearly defining the courage that he had shown in the defence of Scotland, this is a very significant part in the play because it shows us the reader that Macbeth was not always a follower of his wife’s bidding and the witch’s visions
The Murder Essay Research Paper 121096 The
The Murder Essay, Research Paper 12/10/96 The Murder In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches. The witches predict that Macbeth will be Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and king. They tell Banquo that his sons will become kings. At that point Macbeth was already Thane of Glamis because of his father.
Macbeth Macbeth A Victim Of Circumstances Essay
, Research Paper Macbeth: Macbeth A Victim of Circumstances Macbeth, a victim of circumstances or not? He was a victim of circumstances. The witches, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth himself all contribute to
Macbeth Characters Essay Research Paper In the
Macbeth Characters Essay, Research Paper In the play Macbeth the characters are using certain prophesies to try and help themselves in gaining confidence and self-assurance in achieving their ultimate
Macbeth Witches Essay Research Paper Macbeth who
Macbeth Witches Essay, Research Paper Macbeth, who is hailed by the three witches as the ancestor of kings. Macbeth is an intelligent spiritual likeness of a villain-hero who feels his own guilt
Macbeth Witches Essay Research Paper The witches
Macbeth Witches Essay, Research Paper The witches could foretell the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, but they could not control his destiny. Macbeth created his own misery
Macbeth Downfall Essay Research Paper In Macbeth
Macbeth Downfall Essay, Research Paper In Macbeth there were a few factors that contributed to the degeneration of the Macbeth character. There were three factors that destroyed Macbeth. The main
MacbethTragic Hero Essay Research Paper Is Macbeth
Macbeth-Tragic Hero Essay, Research Paper Is Macbeth a tragic hero? The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. There are many factors that contribute to the degeneration of Macbeth of which three will be discussed. The three points which contribute greatly to Macbeth’s degeneration are the prophecy which was told to him by the witches, how Lady Macbeth influenced and manipulated Macbeth’s judgment, and finally Macbeth’s long time ambition which drove his desire to be king.
Was Macbeth Responsible For The Killings Essay
, Research Paper In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare I feel that Macbeth is responsible for the killings. Even though Macbeth was persuaded by the witches, Lady Macbeth, and his own desire to be king he still ultimately responsible for the actions he commit. We could easily allow ourselves to say he has been convinced by the prophecy and his wife?s manipulation, but he is still in command of whatever he chooses to do, and must try to resist temptation.
Fate Of Macbeth Essay Research Paper FATE
Fate Of Macbeth Essay, Research Paper FATE OF MACBETH Although Macbeth does take actions that lead to his downfall, I believe that he is not totally responsible for what happens. Although he takes the actions, he would not have done this
The Witches Are Responsible For What Happens
To Macbeth Essay, Research Paper Although Macbeth does take actions that lead to his downfall, I believe that he is not totally responsible for what happens. Although he takes the action that leads to his downfall, he perhaps would not have done this if the witches had not told him that he would be king in Act 1 Scene 3.
Macbeth Essay Research Paper Macbeth Lady Macbeth
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper Macbeth Lady Macbeth had one of the most important roles in the play I believe. Lady Macbeth is far worse than Macbeth. Although they both think of murdering King Duncan as soon as they hear the witches prophecies; Macbeth thinks more about what would happen if he did kill king Duncan, on the hand Lady Macbeth right away to evil spirits to get her the strength to kill King Duncan.
Macbeth And Oedipus Rex Essay Research Paper
Macbeth and Oedipus Rex Analysis Oedipus Rex and Macbeth are both tragic plays. They have many similarities and differences. Some of them are in the role of fate, the characters, and the setting and the
Darkness Beacon Of Chaos In Macbeth Essay
, Research Paper Darkness; Beacon of Chaos in Macbeth Darkness in our society is indicative of evil. For instance, a black cat, a dark night, and a dark place are all symbolic of diablerie. Authors use these
Lady Macbeth Essay Research Paper At the
Lady Macbeth Essay, Research Paper At the start of the play, Lady Macbeth seems to have a very strong character – almost stronger than Macbeth’s – but by the end she is reduced to being afraid of the dark. At the beginning she is Macbeth’s ‘dearest partner of greatness’, but at the end she is his ‘fiend-like queen’.