Later, when Macbeth found out that he became the Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan who was the king of Scotland at that time. Macbeth instantly realises the witches’ prophecy and believes that since the first prophecy of witches came true and so, prophecy of him becoming the king of Scotland can also be fulfilled. This was the beginning of Macbeth’s greed. But his friend Banquo warned him about the evilness of witches. So, Macbeth was torn between impossible contradictions ‘This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good’. But then Macbeth realises that the only way for him to become fulfil his ambition of becoming king is to kill King Duncan. He began to sound like king, ‘Kind gentlemen, your pains are registered where every day I turn the leaf to read them’.
Macbeth kills King Duncan become the king of Scotland by stabbing him to death and fulfilled the witches’ third prophecy. Later King’s butchered body was discovered by Macduff who was the ‘Thane of Fife’. Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, feared their own lives and flee. Banquo becomes suspicious of Macbeth. But, Macbeth remembers the witches’ prophecy about Banquo and decides that he should die as well. So, Macbeth plans to kill Banquo and eventually kills him.
However after kill his friend Macbeth starts to go crazy and lost control and seeing Banquo’s ghost and a dagger of blood coming towards him. So, he went back to witches for help. This time he was strong and not feared of anything. The witches said ‘for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth’. Macbeth becomes very happy to hear this and thought everyone is born of woman and therefore no one can kill him. However Macduff was cut from his mother’s womb and Macbeth didn’t know that. Macduff finds out about Macbeth being crowned king and he raised and army against him as it was obvious from him to consider that Macbeth killed King Duncan and so Macduff fought with Macbeth and eventually kills Macbeth.
Throughout the play witches had the control on Macbeth and they affected his behaviour and attitude by their evil prophecies. William Shakespeare also utilizes the tactic of dramatic soliloquies in the play to allow the audience to view his characters, expressing their individual thoughts and their inner feelings.
The first important soliloquy in the play shows the reaction of the character Macbeth to what three witches have told him. Macbeth, first analyzes what they said as ‘Two truths are told’; he sees the predictions, by the witches of being Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, but the third prophecy of the witched being crowned King of Scotland was the worse he could ever come against and he believes that if what the witches have said is true, then how can it be evil. An excellent example of his technique is when Macbeth reveals his inner feelings of being over trusted of the witches and himself by the idea of killing king Duncan.
Shakespeare also used many themes to make the play more exciting for the audience. Ambition is one of the themes associated with Macbeth. Macbeth’s ambition of becoming king leads him toward evil and makes Macbeth stronger and more determined and ambition was that which eventually killed him. Supernatural is another theme which is associated with the three witches as they used their supernatural powers to predict Macbeth’s fate and Macbeth fall prey into their trap and eventually lost his life. There are other themes included in this play, some being animals, clothing, darkness and blood. Blood is one of the largest themes in the play. It’s used frequently and it is what gives the play feeling of foul play and darkness.
Imagery is also used in this play. Shakespeare uses the element of darkness to make an image of evil and wickedness, and is always represented as negative. Darkness is a tool that Macbeth uses to lead him create evil acts and overcome his fear.
Theatres in Shakespearean days were very different from the ones in modern days. They were called ‘Elizabethan Theatres’. Elizabethan Theatres were generally built after the design of the original theatre. Built of wood, those theatres comprised three tiers of seats in a circular shape, with a stage area on one side of the circle. The stage was very big and had trap doors so that actors could enter from underneath the stage. They also had ‘Heavens’ which was the roof above the stage, supported by pillars. Characters could be lowered to the stage during the play. Doors were used by the actors, leading from the stage to the tiring house (dressing rooms). Gallery of the theatre was used for action on an upper level (or if not for musicians). Inner stage was curtained area that could be opened up to show a new scene. The audience’s seats and part of the stage was roofed, but much of the main stage and area in front of the stage in the centre of the circle were open to the elements.
Performances took place during the day, using natural light from the open centre of the theatre. Since there could be no dramatic lighting and there was very little scenery or props, audiences relied on the actors’ lines and stage directions to supply the time of day and year, the weather, the location and mood of scenes.
In conclusion, witches play a dominant role in the play by persuading Macbeth to believe them and they were successful. While the witches do not directly advise Macbeth to kill King Duncan, they use difficult form of temptation when they inform Macbeth that he is destined to be king. By placing this thought in his mind, they effectively guide him on the path to his own destruction.
