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 in Salem In 1692, in Salem Massachusetts, the superstition of witches existed in a society of strong Christian beliefs. Anybody who acted out of the ordinary was accused of being a witch and the accused would actually be forgiven if they blamed their accusations on another individual. In this play, a group of young girls is accused of being witches. These girls then blame other people in order to get out of trouble and even pretend to be "bewitched" in front of the court during a trial. This leads into the deaths of the innocent people who are accused and automatically found guilty.
(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 Crucible: Mass Hysteria In 1692, a small town in Salem, Massachusetts experienced an outbreak of mass hysteria and pure chaos in fear of witchcraft. The incidents were started by a small group of teen girls who accused innocent people of being with the devil and witchcraft. It baffles me to see that such a religious town could be in such an uproar to these accusations. Arthur Miller uses great examples of mass hysteria within the girls and other people in the town. Many people go along with what the girls are doing, while some stick to their own belief in what is right.
It fair to say, in addition, that if his betrayal caused this extensive pain that clouded him after he murders Duncan, Banquo and the Macduff’s that it wasn’t a case of fate and was his own doing. However is he to blame? Or does the bulk fall on Lady Macbeth and the three witches. From his very first meeting with the witches, Macbeth's mind became instantly plagued with thoughts of murder and treachery a trait that was instantly noticed by Banquo "Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear; Things that do sound so fair?" showing us that the thought of murder was already at the back of his mind.
Because of her hate towards Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, Abigail creates demented tales, directed at abolishing the “problem.” Though Abigail’s wild canards seem quite obtuse in civilization today, at the time her acts fell to justification. Furthermore, because of Abigail’s childlike disposition in wiggling her way out of punishment as well as her lust and love for John Proctor, she found deceiving the people of Salem easy, seeing as the threat of witchcraft and demons loomed dangerously in the hearts and minds of all who lived there. Though the
Nevertheless, it is the innate evil in Macbeth that makes him curious about their predictions. In fact Banquo’s statements on noticing Macbeth’s reaction to the witches’ prophesies, “Look how our partner’s rapt,” make us suspect Macbeth’s integrity. Again, the fact that he gets dependant on the witches for further advice clearly demonstrates the evil in him. While it was the initial influence of the witches, that led Macbeth astray, it is ultimately Macbeth’s decision to commit such heinous crimes.” Apart from the witches, Lady Macbeth also has a profound influence on bringing about Macbeth’s tragedy. Lady Macbeth is an evil and ruthless woman who, being aware of Macbeth’s ambitious nature decides to exploit it and manipulates him into murdering King Duncan.
The people of the town were pressured, accused, and tested simple tests but the girls would scream with such pain whenever the accused spoke. The victims, the girls, and the judges all were consumed in the anarchy and lost all sanity. Were people convicted of not only being witches in Salem but across the country suspicion arose and people convicted women of being witches for the simplest causes. Two girls took a joke way too far and caused disorder across the country. Not all "witches" were from Salem, MA.
Elizabeth breaks the news to John that Abigail, the woman (or more teenager) that John had sex with, is telling people all over town that certain members of society are witches. Elizabeth hears from one of the accused that Abigail is to blame which sparks anger in John. Even though John tries to tell Elizabeth of Abigail's good nature, Elizabeth believes that Abigail is to blame solely because she committed adultery with her (Elizabeth's) husband. "My Wife will never die for me!...that goodness will not die for me," (38)! John soon comes to the conclusion that Elizabeth doesn't care about him since Elizabeth doesn't care about Abigail.
Finally, we see this concept taken to the extreme with the weird sisters. The witches make Macbeth believe something that is false, and lead him on for most of the play. Potentially, if the witches had not given Macbeth this sense of confidence than he may have never killed, Duncan, Banquo or Macduff’s family. This concept of appearance vs. reality not only caused Macbeth to rise up and become king, it also caused his inevitable downfall. Throughout the play Macbeth uses his acting abilities and deceptive qualities to make people believe something, which in reality is false.