The third witch says, ‘There to meet Macbeth’, this intertwining of Macbeth reflects the relationship which will be made between him and the witches, and the evil which is going to be involved in Macbeth’s life. The arrangement of meeting place shows their target for the forces of evil, and their thorough planning of making an appointment to lure Macbeth to destruction. This scene symbolises the witches as a representation for temptation, therefore foreshadowing Macbeth’s potential human weakness to be susceptible to temptation, before we are even introduced to Macbeth himself. Shakespeare presents Macbeths character as brave and fearless in Scene 2; without Macbeth being present. “Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’chaps and fixed his head upon our battlements”, this quotation is said by the captain, who is commending Macbeth for defeating the leader of the rebel army.
He commits murder and puts his entire kingdom in danger. Still, many of his evil acts are committed while he is under the influence of the Weird Sisters and Lady Macbeth, who are often considered to be the true villains of the play. At the end of the play, Macbeth realizes the evil he has committed and seems to feel sorrow for such. Because of this realization Macbeth is often viewed as a tragic hero, for tragic heroes almost always recognize the errors they have committed by the end of their stories and seek, in some manner, to atone for them. Macbeth is indeed a bit too complex to be categorised as a villain or a hero.
Evident in the transition of John Proctor as he is filled with guilt and remorse for his adulterous behaviour, ‘ I would rather cut of my hands than touch you (Abigail) again,’ yet it is through his condemnation and heroism in his death that he is finally able to forgive his sins symbolised by Elizabeth’s statement, ‘he have is goodness now’. Through the characterisation of John Proctor Miller encourages us to understand the social pressures that the minority face in order to bring justice, to a situation when controlled by a repressive
Evil is first inferred in Macbeth when we first meet the Weyward Sisters (witches) and they cantillate something: ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair.’ This juxtaposition of words indicates an unnatural feel which creates the feel of imminent evil from a possibly supernatural perpetrator. This line is later reprised by Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 3 when he declares ‘so foul and fair a day I have not seen.’ This could insinuate that Macbeth and the witches may be having similar thoughts without even meeting yet. Alternatively, one could infer that the witches may have already infected Macbeth’s mind with their sinister way of thinking which could give reason as why such a noble man commits regicide. AC Bradley provides a divergent theory on the Weyward Sisters. He says: ‘They are old women, poor and ragged, skinny and hideous, full of vulgar spite, occupied in killing their neighbours' swine or revenging themselves on sailors' wives who have refused them chestnuts.’ In light of this comment, the sisters can be perceived as mad women that exclaim fallacies of success and wealth to warriors and those of weak mind, such as Macbeth, will commit to said fallacies and this will inaugurate their demise.
Conflict influences everyone in how they act and what decisions they make. Macbeth (by Shakespeare) and Ladyhawke (by unknown) are perfect examples of this. Both stories have people in them, Macbeth in Macbeth and Philippe in Ladyhawke, that face conflicts that will affect how they act and the decisions they make. Conflict influences the decisions and actions of both Macbeth, a tragic hero, and Philippe, a hero. In Macbeth, Macbeth was a tragic hero because he had a flaw in his personality that ultimately caused him to perish.
Thus it is shown that guilt can cause one to lose there inner conscience. Guilt in this play led Macbeth to live a life full of sorrow and regrets. It causes people around to suffer as well from guilt, as it can accumulate to the extent of death. Therefore Shakespeare has definitely demonstrated a success through Macbeth to demonstrate the true meaning of the causes of
“The words of the witches are fatal to the hero only because there is something in him which leaps at the sound of them; but they are at the same time the witness of forces which never cease to work in the world around him, and, on the instant of his surrender to them, entangle him inextricably in the web of Fate.” (AC Bradley) Discuss whether fate and the supernatural are to blame for Macbeth's tragic downfall Shakespeare's protagonist's whose fate is inextricably interwoven with the dark supernatural world of the Weird Sisters. This links to the Aristotelian view of tragedy; “as is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions” (Poetics- Book 6.2). Indeed, this “metaphysical aid” is blamed for Macbeth’s tragic fall as, immediately presented to us in the play's eerie, tempestuous opening, they declare, “there to meet with Macbeth.” This would have elicited responses of “horrified sympathy and awe,” from the audience as the Witches’ dialogue suggests that they are singling him; mere mortal in whose life they intend to meddle. This makes him a tragic hero, who suffers at the hands of fate, and has little control over his destiny. That said, the playwright's juxtaposition of the supernatural with the initial portrayal of an individual at his highest peak firmly establishes the protagonist as “traditionally” heroic.
The idea of being unable to cleanse the mind and the spirit is closely tied to the play’s themes of order and disorder and light and dark. The killing of Duncan has upset the spiritual order of the world and the ability to distinguish between what is real and what is imagined. This confusion is mirrored in the character of Macbeth who, quite literally, has replaced order with disorder on every level, including the spiritual order. This mirroring reinforces the themes of appearances not being what they seem, but also foreshadows the madness and suicide of Lady Macbeth, which is bound to flow from such an unnatural state of affairs. Consider Lady Macbeth’s pathos, reflected in her sleep-walking speeches, “out, damned spot”.
Discuss the role of the witches in Macbeth! I think Shakespeare used the witches in the play because, he was writing for an audience that believed in the formidable powers of witchcraft. Disturbances in the heavens were considered to indicate upheaval and strife and the presence of evil. I think Shakespeare used the witches also to create a sinister atmosphere in the play. The witches appear during thunder and lightning in Act 1 Scene 1.
In my opinion, the vision of evil in this play is powerfully presented through the characters of the witches. The “weird sisters” can be seen as supernatural embodiments of evil, as their actions always involve the cruel misleading or suffering of their victims. I think it is significant that the first characters we meet in the play are in fact the witches, as this shows the prevalence of the theme of evil. Early on, we realise that the witches have a great deal of power over events; they have a supernatural knowledge of the future and control over the elements. However, they use their powers for evil purposes, wreaking havoc in the lives of whoever they meet.