(Witch Hunts) Witches were thought to be consults of the devil who gave up their bodies and led others away from the church for the devil in exchange for otherworldly power. In addition to this women were marked as being sexually voracious, the origin of this mindset being the Garden of Eden. (Witchcraft and Midwifery) It was also believed that because women were weaker than men and had fewer rights, they were more likely to succumb to the devil in order to obtain their wishes. (Witch Hunts) In this respect they were “...by nature instruments of Satan -- they [were] by nature carnal, a structural defect rooted in the original creation.” (Steven Katz, Gendercide Watch: European Witch-Hunts) Because of the influential role religion held in European communities, these associations women held were powerful instruments in their accusations. Still tying into religious influences, the very physical appearance of a woman could lead to the belief that she is a witch.
The three witches are to some degree responsible for Macbeth’s demise. In Shakespearean era, the people were increasingly preoccupied with witches and witchcraft. They acknowledged witches and their supernatural powers. Thus Macbeth Becomes by predicting that Macbeth will be king, prompting him to become king at all cost. Nevertheless, it is the innate evil in Macbeth that makes him curious about their predictions.
The witches sound evil and many fear them because of their powers and witchery. They also want Macbeth to be king by saying, “Hail, Hail!” when he walks in. The witches know that this will make him anxious, in which it does. These three hags can also be portrayed as Fates in the mythology state. February 1, 2012 “When shall we three meet again?
Hysteria leads the people of Salem to believe that those who were friends are executing witchery and associating themselves with the devil. The continuous accusations of witchery present the people of Salem with a chance to redeem long-term grudges. The abundant case of Abigail Williams uses the current situation to indict charges on Elizabeth Proctor, having her sent to jail. Not to be entirely blamed, Reverend Parries also pronounces his placement in society by accusing the people who question his authority. Hysteria can prosper from those who feed off of it.
Not only was he terrified that Banquo would expose him, but he was afraid that Banquo’s line would all become kings in the future, as according to the witches’ prophecies. Later on in the play, Macbeth’s paranoia comes back to haunt him. He knows that Macduff is planning war against him so he goes to the witches since their prophecies are his only source of security. This adds to his growing insanity because he relies on something evil as comfort. Guilt is another large factor that drives Macbeth insane.
In the play many characters do not take responsibility for what they do see going on. As a result many lives are taken. For example, John Proctor realizes how dangerous the witchcraft accusations are when the court officials arrest his wife, Elizabeth, for witchcraft: "The little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! I ll not give my wife to vengeance!” (Miller 34). Before his wife was arrested, John really did not see that the girls weren't just telling little “white lies”.
Salem, Massachusetts in the late 17th century was full of hysteria about witches casting spells, spirits being conjured, and the devil influencing the townspeople. Accusations of witchcraft, for personal vengeance, hurled fellow citizens into jail for eventual execution. The greedy were taking neighbors land once their innocent blood was spilled for crimes of witchery. John Proctor disliked the court’s lack of justice, and thought that the spreaders of the lies only did it to get what they wanted. All he wanted was for fair trials to be conducted and evidence to be looked for, because he was a very just individual and when a debate of who had authority he said “we vote by name in this society, not by acreage” (1.
Macbeth and the Extraterrestrial In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the supernatural plays an essential role in the character development of the most important characters. Prophecies of greatness, brought on by three witches and led by their leader Hecate, lead to corruption in even the most loyal of men. The theme of what these witches say, “Fair is foul and foul is fair” make people believe good things will happen, when really they are being led astray. One man – Macbeth himself – falls prey to these prophecies, leading him to betrayal, murder, and even insanity. In the time of Shakespeare, people were very superstitious, so he used the witches for theatrical effect.
The problem was a damned if she does and damned if she does not. This accusation of a woman being a witch meant that “their feminine souls made an explicit and aggressive choice to conjoin with the devil” (Reis, 94). Puritans believed they were not just manipulated by Satan, they willingly desired to be possessed by him. This was aggressive stance most Puritan men had towards Puritan women. Satan could get to their soul through their body because it was weak.
Ghosts made the audience feel scared the sky black and the wind misty. Witches in the play did prophecies to Macbeth that he would be king. Macbeth knowing this information became curious, knowing that Duncan was king he wondered how he would achieve the position. So he did indeed kill Duncan under the guidance of the three witches. The witches in this play in terms of ghosts are concerned, we see they are not human or half ways normal when Banquo quotes to Macbeth that are not human like as well as irregular in some sort and very unattractive.