Essay on The Witches Play the Greatest Part in Macbeth’s...

The witches are the first characters we see in the play in Act one Scene one- A prologue of evil. They plan to meet Macbeth when the fighting has finished. â€Å"When the hurly Burley’s done† From the very beginning of the play the witches are planning to give Macbeth the news of his future and so lead to his downfall. They speak to each other about their next action, to meet with Macbeth. The setting in which Shakespeare first presents the witches is On the Moor with thunder and lightening in the background. It is unusual the way the three witches meet in a storm. This atmosphere implies that the witches are frightening and its very location ‘On the Moor’ a remote and isolated waste land area, gives a scary feeling. The witches talk to†¦show more content†¦They plant ideas in his head, or perhaps draw out ideas which were in his head already. First witch, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!† Second witch, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!† Third witch, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be King hereafter.† The words â€Å"that shalt be King hereafter,† I think have a very important part in the downfall of Macbeth. These five words have placed an idea in Macbeth’s mind, or else brought to fruition an idea which was hidden in there already. From this point onwards Macbeth’s ambition is to become King at any cost. They greet him as Thane of Glamis (which he already is,) Thane of Cawdor (which he doesn’t yet know about,) and ‘King’ hereafter. Banquo asks Macbeth why he starts and seems to fear (obviously Macbeth has guilty thoughts and the prophecies prick his conscience.) Banquo asked if the witches were imaginary or as real as they seem to be. He says that they greeted his friend (Macbeth) with his present titles, with prophecy of future nobility and with promise of royalty. He seems amazed. In contrast Macbeth is stunned to silence by their prophecies, while Banquo questions them calmly, showing that the witches don’t have the same affect on him. Macbeth is fascinated by what he has heard and wants to hear more. â€Å"Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more.† He says, by his fathers he knowsShow MoreRelatedMacbeth : Lightness And Darkness988 Words   |  4 Pagesimplemented by Shakespeare in the play The Tragedy of Macbeth, foreshadowing Macbeth’s downfall? As many can identify conspicuous examples of light and darkness through characterization, the play has many hidden foreshadowing signifiers. Although many overlook the imagery created through the light and darkness in Macbeth, Shakespeare places these examples strategically to make readers pay close attention to particular parts in the play. A passageway was created for Macbeth’s downfall not only through the charactersRead MoreDownfall of Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth Essay1041 Words   |  5 PagesDownfall of Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth This play is a tragedy. In this essay I will discuss what effect the witches, lady Macbeth and Macbeth have on the rise and fall of Macbeth. Macbeth at the beginning of the play is successful warrior in the Scottish army. The king of Scotland, Duncan, hears of Macbeths bravery and he calls him a Valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! (Act 1 scene 2, line 24). This shows that the king of Scotland regards MacbethRead MoreLady Macbeth Is Responsible for the Fall of Macbeth899 Words   |  4 Pagesbelieve that the witches played a huge part in the fall of Macbeth. The witches put the thought of being king into Macbeth’s head in the first place. They also convinced him that he was invincible and this caused his ultimate death. I believe that Lady Macbeth is partly responsible for the fall of Macbeth. She plans and forces Macbeth to murder starting the chain reaction to his downfall. When Lady Macbeth read the letter that Macbeth sent her about his encounter with the witches she immediatelyRead MoreMacbeth1203 Words   |  5 Pagesknown for his significant amount of bravery and loyalty as a character in the play The Tragedy of Macbeth. Even though Macbeth has all the significant qualities of an average known hero, he also inherits bad ambitions throughout the story from three ornery witches that influence mischief upon his character. The witches reconstruct Macbeth’s ambitions from good to evil with the promise of power and riches. The evil witches help construct the storyline of Macbeth, and without them the story line wouldRead MoreAmbition: The Destruction of Shakespeare’s Macbeth Essay1182 Words   |  5 Pagestragedies is that of Macbeth. It is also known as â€Å"the Scottish play,† primarily because of its Scottish setting and because it is based loosely after the life of a real King Macbeth of Scotland. (Mendham) This play is cons idered a tragedy because the protagonist of the play, Macbeth, will suffer a terrible downfall as the result of his actions. From the beginning of the play, Shakespeare effectively establishes the atmosphere of the play as one of doom and despair, where even nature is at war withRead MoreThree Witches and Macbeth2956 Words   |  12 Pages Everybody knows that a play is more restrained than a novel because it is written to be performed in less than three hrs. That is why it should attract the viewer and engage his or her attention from the beginning. That makes the opening scene of any play of such a great importance. The opening scene in a play acts as an expository scene that introduces the audience to the background of the play, its hero, and hints at the main theme. Shakespeare is one of the greatest dramatists who wrote theRead MoreAppearance Vs. Reality Of Macbeth Essay1612 Words   |  7 Pagesknowing the reality of a situation, people’s thoughts are sometimes shifted to see only what they appear, leaving them blindsided to the real truth behind whats really going on. Appearance versus Reality is first seen when king Duncan misjudges Macbeth’s intentions and is blindsided to his desire to become king, ultimately leading to his death. Secondly, when Banquo put trust in Macbeth, his poor judgement to see that Macbeth would to anything to secure the throne led him to his death. Finally, whenRead MoreEssay on Images, Imagery, Symbols, and Symbolism in Macbeth1723 Words   |  7 Pagescharacters, William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth is one of the greatest works one could ever read. But, above all, the aspect of the play is most impressive and overwhelming with imagery and symbolism that Shakespeare so brilliantly uses. Throughout the play, the author depicts various types of imagery and symbolism instances that, eventually, lead to the downfall of the main character, Macbeth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Instances of imagery and symbolism are seen throughout the play. Imagery and symbolism are unavoidableRead MoreMacbeth: The Evil Within Essay1344 Words   |  6 PagesIt is evident from the beginning of the play that Macbeth is sheltering something sinister within him. At that moment, it can only be guessed as to what it is, but as the play moves along this terrible feeling grows and feeds on Macbeth’s paranoia and his disappointment with life as a whole. Macbeth gradually goes on both a literal and figurative life journey, with its disappointments and joys. Strangely, though, Macbeth is not pleased by these accomplishments, and only seeks more. There are multipleRead MoreMacbeth by William Shakespeare1075 Words   |  5 Pagesthere are different rank and class systems that distinguish groups of people. Ambition -- the quest for power – is an internal drive that is embedded in every one of us. It motivates us to improve our selves. Ambition can lead to corruption as in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, where the main character Macbeth is driven by his ambition and eventually becomes corrupt. Macbeth chooses to let ambition override his humanity in order to achieve and maintain the throne which ultimately leads to his