To What Extent Do The Witches And Lady Macbeth Encourage Macbeth To Murder Duncan
The whole framework to Macbeth is that supernatural forces intrigue him and that he was indirectly forced to do evil. It could be argued that Macbeth is solely innocent because the witches and Lady Macbeth are strong influences, but he wants and encourages those influences. Macbeth is always aware that it is a sin to kill, he never loses his sense of morality, yet he still wants to be influenced. Lady Macbeth and the witches influence him, but he is ultimately responsible for the murder of Duncan. However, Macbeth’s behaviour needs to be examined. This will show to what extent the witches and Lady Macbeth encourage Macbeth and to what extent he is responsible for his own crime. The first impression of Macbeth is that he is the greatest warrior of all time and is unstoppable as he fights for the southerners of Scotland. Macbeth never gives up when he gets the chance and that is one of his most important characteristics. Macbeth is obviously a skilled fighter and that can be seen when he is praised by the King, Duncan and the Captain,’O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman! ... Macbeth does seem like an honourable person but some aspects of his actions seem to stand out. Macbeth is not potrayed as a victim but is capable of commiting treason. ... He cannot be judged just from his actions in war, but it can be seen that he is capable of commiting murder. The witches straight away lurk in a suspicious, murky and ominous surrounding and the ‘Weird sisters’ seem like ambiguous creatures that are not human but evil supernatural beings. ... These similar words are used more than once and link to the rest of the play because the witches are not completely what they seem. These witches clearly want to meet Macbeth for a reason and this reason is obviously sinister. One of the witches, later in the play, brags about her exploits which invokes evil but also reveals some limitations to their powers. ... This shows their evil attitudes that could mean that what they did to him is reminiscent of Macbeth’s future. ... The audience in that time believed in witches and the supernatural and so they were regarded as evil and would be executed if caught doing witchcraft. This means that the audience would be very aware about the influences of the witches. The witches obviously have their eyes set on encouraging Macbeth to do wrong, but is he the innocent victim of their influence? The witches may have put a spell on Macbeth so that he would meet them shortly after the battle to be encouraged or it could have been chance. As Macbeth enters he comments on the day being ‘So foul and fair’. This is quite ironic because it is very similar to how the witches speak and generally echoes the witches’ riddling words. This could suggest that the witches have already started to work on Macbeth using their supernatural powers as soon as he was near them. However it could equally suggest that maybe Macbeth is already in tune with the way the witches are thinking. They have started to encourage him and he is following unknowingly. Even before Macbeth meets the witches he is already speaking in a similar way to them. We could suggest that the way he thinks, like the witches, shows they are alike; a possible reason why he was chosen. ... Macbeth is very ambitious and that can be seen as the play unfolds. This ambition is the main reason why the witches chose him because his ambition will come into play when he is given supernatural information. Yes, he has a ‘fair’ side at the start, ‘brave Macbeth’ but he also has foulness beneath his skin. Macbeth is capable of both ‘fair’ and ‘foul’ actions and the witches are able to see this. This suggests that he is not as innocent as he seems and he had the murderous capability within him even before he met the witches. It has already been explained that the witches know something deep about Macbeth that no other person could know. Each witch greets Macbeth diferently by calling him the Thane Of Glamis, Thane Of Cawdor and then ‘that shalt be King hereafter! ... Macbeth is already Thane of Glamis but not Cawdor. ... The first greeting is about the present, the second is about the very near future and the third requires Macbeth to react. ... The witches have hit one of Macbeth’s personal nerves; ‘Stay you imperfect speakers’ he has always wanted to be great and to be King. ... This shows that the witches understood Macbeth and could unlock the key to all of his wants and desires. Banquo’s reaction to the witches is very different to Macbeth.