The role of the Weird Sisters in the play can be described as a catalyst. They are there to accelerate what Macbeth would possibly have done himself but only taken a lot longer to do, as the comment
“ Star, hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires,”
would seem to suggest. Supplied with information about the Weird Sisters, we are led to believe that they are planning something evil, which will occur;
“When the hurly-burly’s done, When the battles lost, and won.” .
Almost instantly in the play we are given evidence to prove that Macbeth was singled out by the “Weird Sisters” and therefore a victim;
“There to meet with Macbeth ”.
The next scene with the “Weird Sisters” also opens on an evil note “Thunder” is used to emphasise the evil that they stand for and as a sign of what is to come. The first words that Macbeth says on seeing the “Weird Sisters” has a certain echo from earlier in the play
“So foul and fair ”.
Shakespeare has cleverly used Banquo in this scene as a contrast to Macbeth and his decisions. Macbeth is intrigued by the predictions of the “Weird Sisters”
“Stay you imperfect speakers. Tell me more.”
as is Banquo “What, can the devil speak true”
but the difference is that Banquo has no ambition to be anything more than he is, unlike Macbeth who has a
“Vaulting ambition”
Macbeth now believes that if part of what the witches predicted has already come true it may mean that all of what they said will happen, and he will be king.
“ That trusted home, Might yet enkindle you unto the crown,”
Macbeth is already showing signs of his dark and evil thoughts on the issue of being king
“ Stars, hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires”
We are then told more on the “Weird Sisters” supernatural powers
“ have more in them than mortal Knowledge.”
In act1 scene5 Lady Macbeth is introduced. We hear her reading the letter from Macbeth and see the first indication of Macbeth believing the “Weird Sisters” and their equivocated tales
“ of what greatness is promised thee ”
also addressing his wife as
“ dearest partner of greatness,”
Is this his indication to his wife that he is thinking of becoming king?
Soon after Lady Macbeth is introduced she goes straight to the point plotting how to convince Macbeth to become king. She reacts with amazing rapidity to the letter calling the on spirits to
“ unsex me here And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull…Stop up th’access and passage to remorse…my woman’s breasts And take the milk for gall, ”.
When she greets Macbeth she uses repetitive and persuasive language to drum home the fact that he is worthy of the title king and how he should claim it as his
“Great Glaims…Great…all-hail hereafter”
Lady Macbeth has also been planning for something
“I feel now The future in the instant. … Duncan comes here tonight…O never Shall sun that morrow see.”
After only one scene we notice that Lady Macbeth is a very influential, powerful, persuasive, determined and ambitious woman in the sense she is a Megalomaniac and also has a very dark side
“ Come you spirits… Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, ”.
Lady Macbeth also perpetuates what the “Weird Sisters” began. She takes the idea of killing the king to another level planning out step by step how they will bring about Duncan’s demise
“I laid their daggers ready,”.
From the two acts we can see that Macbeth has no physical weakness,
“Brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name”
but is weak intellectually. These weaknesses show sometimes in the form of insanity
“Is this a dagger which I see before me,”.
Lady Macbeth also knows were Macbeth’s weaknesses are, she uses them to her advantage. Here other form of manipulation on Macbeth is flattery, and her feminine qualities. But when she has to she uses either the subject of his love for her or she questions his position as a man, he takes offence to this and is pushed into decisions by his pride and his ambition
“ I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none”
To conclude whether or not Macbeth was a Victim? After considering all the information provided I think that Macbeth was a victim of his own ambition, he was not forced by the “Weird sisters”, but killed Duncan voluntarily. He is a victim in the sense that he was singled out by “Weird sisters”.
