Through out the play the witches are very stereotypical, being malign old withered hags that can vanish into mid-air, create potions, and predict the future. There have been many other interpretations of the witches in different Macbeths for example, one contemporary interpretation is where Macbeth and Banquo are battle heroes returning from service in the Iraq war. In this production the witches are young women that are aware of their own sexuality
We are not sure whether it was Macbeth or the witches who make the events happen throughout the play. The witches may have told Macbeth the prophecies to stir up his own ambitions of being king and the witches representing temptation from the devil. The witches prophesise that Macbeth will be king of Scotland but if Macbeth did not know about the prediction he might not have been king as he acted on the prophesy making them come true himself. Another prediction of the witches was that Macbeth would not be killed by a man born of woman and that he will not be defeated till Birman wood comes to Dunsinain. This made Macbeth believe that he was invincible however as we find out in the end his killer was born by caesarean. The soldiers had cut down trees to use as an early type of camouflage. The three witches may not have even been witches, they could have been old hags telling Macbeth a tale even if it was in no way true. If this were true Macbeth was the one responsible for all of the tragedies throughout the play. Even though this could quite possibly be true, we do not take it as this, because of the description of them and the nature of the play.
The witches’ prophecies make Macbeth as well as destroy him. He takes the matter into his own hands to become king, which may not have happened if he had sat back and waited for it to happen. The witches may well have been real witches and the prophecies may well have been true but if Macbeth had never known of the prophecies he may not have been so ambitious to be king. The witches may well have known this would happen.
Lady Macbeth comes to hear of the prophesies in a letter sent by Macbeth. This is a key effect she can see Macbeth Being king which shows us she could be being manipulated by the witches. Through out the letter Lady Macbeth is able to visualise the “golden round”. Thus fate and metaphysical aid have been able to manipulate her. It is interesting how Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth too kill Duncan. She worried that he was too kind to do it “Yet I do fear thy nature is to full of the milk of human kindness”. She also states, “And chastise with the valour of my tongue” meaning she will make Macbeth kill Duncan with her tongue and the power of persuasion. This shows us she is very power hungry and could have been affected by the witches’ prophecies. Banquo’s and Macbeths reactions were very different. Banquo’s reaction was very happy. He relaxed happily knowing his son would be king of Scotland. The Prophecy almost confused Macbeth as the thane of Cawdor was alive and a “prosperous gentlemen”. When Macbeth found out he had been made thane of Cawdor his ambition became great. In this play Macbeth would have never had all the ambition and killed the king if it hadn’t been for Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth can be likened to the witches many times throughout the play, for example Lady Macbeth, just like the witches, affects Macbeth’s decision to kill Duncan. In act one scene 5, when Duncan is approaching the castle, Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy speech shows us her demonic side. In her first sentence she states: “The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements”, this shows us she has already planned to kill Duncan and is positive that Duncan will not be leaving. Lady Macbeth’s speech links her to the witches, as throughout it she invokes demons.
The play “Macbeth” is very perplexing, making you contemplate and left to wonder why these tragedies came about and whose fault it was. Could the prophecies have been self fulfilling? Or would the prophecies have come true even if Macbeth hadn’t known about them.
