Look again at Acts 1 and 2. Being careful to refer to specific points in the text, say what you consider to be the most powerful influence on Macbeth : the witches, his own ambition or his wife?

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Look again at Acts 1 and 2. By the end of Act 2, Macbeth has murdered not just Duncan but also two of his servants.

Being careful to refer to specific points in the text, say what you consider to be the most powerful influence on Macbeth : the witches, his own ambition or his wife?

In the play Macbeth I feel that it was fear that was the main motivating factor that influenced the outcome. I feel that this can be proved by the murders that followed after Duncan's. I think that these murders were committed because Macbeth was scared of being caught and having to pay for the bad things that he had already done. I feel that the majority of Macbeth's actions are mainly due to fear, not only of being caught but of the witches' prophecies, he was scared of them coming true and tried to stop them from happening.

From the beginning the witches have focus on Macbeth, they desire his spiritual and immortal personality. There is one line that the witches say at the beginning which makes you wonder what might happen in the end, (act 1, sc.1,11-12) "Fair is foul, and foul is fair," basically what is evil is good and what is good they find repulsive. This is the witches attitudes to life, but I think it is a warning to us that things to follow are not what they might seem. The witches can make anyone's life difficult and inflict pain but cannot kill. The witches do influence Macbeth with the three prophecies to him but when he finds out about them he is a bit puzzled, (act 1, sc.3, 51-52) "Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear things that sound so fair?", this is Banquo talking to Macbeth. Macbeth begins to question the witches.
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Banquo tries to warn Macbeth that the witches are putting evil to work, (act 1, sc.3, 124-126) "The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us the honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence". Macbeth doesn't listen to Banquo and he begins to consider what it will mean if the third prediction is to come true, this is where his stubbornness is shown.

Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband, telling of the witches' predictions. She knows Macbeth has ambition, but fears he is too noble to make sure that the prediction is achieved. This is ...

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