Macbeth(Essay) The witches are the most powerful characters in the play and the catalyst to all of Macbeth’s crimes.’ Do you agree? PDF

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The witches are the most powerful characters in the play and the catalyst to all of Macbeth’s crimes.’ Do you agree?
4 body paragraphs 1000 words
my own essay ...

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The witches are the most powerful characters in the play and the catalyst to all of Macbeth’s crimes.’ Do you agree? Set in a world of violence and a strong belief in the supernatural, Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is an exploration of power and who ultimately is responsible for an individual’s actions. Fundamental to this investigation is whether the witches hold decisive power over Macbeth. There is no doubt that the witches significant influence over Macbeth is a fundament stimulus to his actions but there are also other major factors which contribute to his evil deeds. Macbeth’s ‘vaulting ambition’, Lady Macbeth’s own ambition and her knowledge of how to manipulate her husband, and the context of the play, set in a violent world where a belief in the power of the mystic is prevalent, all to contribute Macbeth’s crimes. The degree to which the witches’ are able to manipulate Macbeth, and therefore have power over him, is entirely determined by the extent to which he allows them to influence him. Primarily, the witches establish their prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo appealing to his sense of conquest and triumph, proclaiming that Macbeth will be ‘Thane of Cawdor and King hereafter’. Whereas Banquo learns that his descendants shall be Kings. While Banquo is not stirred by the dark temptations, revealing that the ‘instruments of darkness tell us truths… to betrays in deepest conquest’, Macbeth’s reception to the news is that he is ‘rapt’ and he wants to hear more as he yields to an image ‘whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs against the use of nature’. Shakespeare’s contrast of Macbeth and Banquo’s reaction to the prophecies, make apparent to the audience that Macbeth’s conscience and intentions are filled with ambition as he surrenders to the evil and treachery of the witches influence, neglecting his loyalty and honour towards Duncan. The darkness of the witches prophecy act as a stimulant for the actions that Macbeth venture as he calls on unnatural forces to ‘let not light see my black and deep desires’. Moreover, Macbeth’s later confrontation with the witches to reveal his fate, results in apparitions disguising their true intentions to ‘beware Macduff Thane of Fife, that none of women born Shall harm Macbeth and Macbeth has nothing to fear until Great Birnam wood moves to high Dunsinane hill near his castle’. Shakespeare’s inclusion of this scene, illustrates to the audience that the witches are devious and deceitful as they blur the truth to confuse Macbeth, which drives him to continue his horrible murder and exploitation of power. Thus the witches provoke Macbeth to accomplish crimes but there are also alternative influences that pressure Macbeth’s falsehood. Lady Macbeth’s exertion of power also plays a significant role in Macbeth’s plight. Initially Macbeth does not want to pursue ‘bloody instructions’ and wishes to ‘proceed no further in (the) business’ but by taunting his manhood, Lady Macbeth persuades him to ‘durst do it’. The persuasion by Lady Macbeth to Macbeth, highlights her ability of inserting ill thoughts into Macbeth’s mind and reveals his vulnerability to manipulation when his courage is disputed. In addition, Lady Macbeth’s callousness and domination is emphasised as she calls on the forces of evil to ‘unsex (her)’ so that she be filled ‘from the crown to the toe of direst cruelty’ to carry on with her brutal intentions. From this summoning of darkness, Lady Macbeth arranges the murder of King Duncan, reassuring Macbeth that ‘false face must hide what the false heart doth know’ and to look ‘like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’. Her lack of understanding about the consequences of actions are in opposition to Macbeth’s conscience which ultimately give her power and significance over Macbeth’s actions. Hence, Lady Macbeth’s ambition plays a crucial role in the crimes Macbeth undertakes as she influences her husband to commit what he would not have been able to do on his own. Macbeth’s own conscience is also the master of his own fate. During the era in which the play ‘Macbeth’ took place, many of the characters were superstitious as they believed in the supernatural. While Macbeth is attracted to the evil forces of the witches, his own decision to act and to continue with his crimes ultimately lies with him. At one point Macbeth decides not to continue with the murder as he comprehends the consequences of his action, recalling that he is ‘(Duncan’s) kinsman and his subject’. However, Macbeth couldn’t resist the temptation of evil, conveying to ‘let not light see my black and deep desires’ and continues anyway, despite knowing the ramification for his actions, showing the tyrannical nature of his crimes. Moreover, Shakespeare further captures this notion that Macbeth is one of the driving force for his own crimes, through the motif of blood. Macbeth’s envision of ‘bloody daggers’ before he executes the ‘bloody business’, emphasises that his mind is disturbed. From this, the notion of blood symbolises Macbeth’s guilt as the ‘multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red’ and he continues his crimes, ordering murders to execute Banquo and Macduff’s relatives. As a result, Macbeth’s own choices influence the decisions he makes. Additionally, Macbeth’s demise was also determined by the physical and social setting of the play. In the play ‘Macbeth’, the violent setting meant that people would believe what they were told and that unnatural acts such as witchcraft and murder were accompanied by unnatural events. Shakespeare’s reinforces the notion of the impact of the setting through Macbeth as Macbeth believed that to fulfil his ambition, he must be King. Further to this, people believed what they were told and Lady Macbeth utilises this to her strength, questioning Macbeth’s manhood, ultimately influencing his decision to kill Duncan. The only person responsible for Macbeth’s actions is himself. The witches and Lady Macbeth attempt to exert power over him, and certainly influence him, however, with full knowledge of the consequences of his actions, he chooses his own path. Ultimately Shakespeare suggests that certain individuals are attracted to evil and once they embrace this path their destiny is inescapable....