Macbeth Essay: Three Witches

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ENG 3U104 December 3, 2013 Macbeth Essay: Macbeth By William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Three Witches, or Weird Sisters, are very important characters within his timeless tale of Macbeth. The Witches answer to the “fates of mythology” (Dover Wilson) by showing people prophecies and apparitions. These Witches are more important within the play than people understand. They have a calamitous affect on the protagonist within Macbeth, and all the characters associated with him. After a protracted discussion of the topic of who is to blame for the demise of Macbeth, the blame has come to rest upon the Three Witches. Within the play Macbeth, the Witches have done numerous things to cause the demise of Macbeth; influenced him through prophecies and apparitions, spurred his killing spree and manipulated him.

From the outset, the Witches show Macbeth prophecies which lead to his downfall. These prophecies are the root of Macbeth’s misfortunes and evil doings, push Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to act upon their evil thoughts, and alter Macbeth from a loyal soldier to a traitor. First and foremost, the Witches were the root of Macbeth’s misfortunes and evil doings. The Witches show Macbeth three prophecies regarding his past, present and future “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.”(Shakespeare, Act 1, Scene 3, lines 49-51). Immediately after hearing these,

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Macbeth finds out he is thane of Cawdor. This makes him believe he has to Murder the King Duncan to fulfill the next section of the prophecy. Macbeth never thought about killing the king until the prophecy was delivered to him. The downward spiral would never had been started without the prophecies spoken by the Witches. What’s more is the Witches prophecies not only pushed Macbeth to think

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