“Fair is foul and foul is fair.”(1,1,190) The total theme of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The three sisters, also known as, witches begin what will later unravel into many deaths and a concluding tragedy. Who is at fault for this domino-killing spree? No other then a pure evil mixture of the witches and their undercover sidekick Lady Macbeth. Hecate held a very important role in the murders of an innocent family, but then again it’s expected of evil. Macbeth proves that evil does have more power then good, but in the end what goes around comes around.
“All Hail Macbeth, that shalt be Kind hereafter.” (1,3,194). This is the single line ignites all of the horrors throughout the play. Macbeth, before he met the witches was not a bad person. Macbeth was actually fighting rebels for the king’s protection, not to mention in a very honorable position of Thane of Glamis. “Macbeth, in the beginning had all of the qualities of an honorable gentleman who could become anything. This is all shattered with his ambition overrides his sense of morality” (What are the influences…). The witches made him feel that he will be kind and that it was his destiny. (Power). Macbeth’s life turned a total three sixty into the evil direction. “The witches manipulated his thoughts, and images worked his mind.” (Power). Of course they were only words that the witches gave, but keeping in mind what powerful beings they were presented to be in the era of Macbeth, they were considered to be able to: see into the future, make people fall ill with the use of spells and potions, as well as to kill anyone at any distance. They were also known to cause bad weather and storms, which the play had begun with, (Macbeth: Witchcraft). Duncan’s death was entirely the witches fault, they told Macbeth he’d be king, basically giving Macbeth permission to kill. Obviously Macbeth felt that since it was in the future then it didn’t matter how exactly he would become king. Macbeth decided to take action on himself and not wait around for his prize. “Although Macbeth has considered killing Duncan in the past it is not certain that he would have actually committed the murder were it not for the witches fortune telling.” (Response to Brian’s Paper). The downfall of Macbeth’s fortune is the witches never told him once you start, you will never be able to stop the killings. They didn’t seem to mention that everyone is responsible for his own destiny, and once he kills for his first time, he has no choice but to continue to cover-up his wrong doings, or risk losing everything he has worked so hard for, (What are the influences…). If the witches would have told Macbeth that king would cost him killing his best friend Banquo who give him the best advice when he said “Were such things here as we do speak or have we eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner?” (1,3,195). He also refers to the witches at instruments, “The instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence.” (1,3,196). Banquo’s basically smarter then Macbeth, obvious to why the witches referred to him as happier and greater then Macbeth. He noted that, why would these evil witches want to tell you things that will help you out. It’s obvious that they will benefit from the situation somehow. Having Macbeths trust is one way, where they will be able to have great power. Banquo believes that evil brings consequences. A few of the consequences were partly Macbeth having to kill the drunken guards to cover up Duncan’s murder, then killing Banquo.
