The appearance of the witches is very much supernatural and something to be feared. Banquo in the play refers to the witches as “So withered and so wild in their attire.” This is perhaps because in the Jacobean times people who were ugly or didn’t have a husband were labeled as witches. People feared witches in those times possibly because mixing with these witches could have resulted in death. Many women in those days were either beheaded or thrown from cliffs to see if they could fly and therefore prove they were witches. The fact that Banquo is the one who curses the witches and questions what kind of beings they are shows he has a negative approach to the witches compared to Macbeth. “That look not like the inhabitants o’th’earth”.
Macbeth’s first words in the play ‘So foul and fair day I have not seen’ echo the witchs’ last line in Act 1 Scene 1 “Fair is foul and foul is fair, Hover through the fog and filthy air”. This shows how they are linked even before they have met. It creates suspense for the audience as we wonder why the hero and the villains use the same words. Macbeth is greeted ‘All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of glamis, All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of cawdor, All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter’. Their greeting sets out the storyline of the play and begins a structure of events that form the central drama in the play. The play wouldn’t have been interesting if they hadn’t hailed Macbeth in this way as this is the start of Macbeth’s curiosity. Banquo claims that Macbeth “Seems rapt withal” which suggests that Macbeth might have taken the predictions seriously. Banquo asks Macbeth “Things that do sound so fair? – I’th’name of truth” whilst Banquo is being sarcastic Macbeth actually seems to be taking it quite serious.
When Banquo hears this prediction he laughs and therefore brings the tension down in the scene. Later that day Macbeth is greeted by messengers who present him with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Dramatic irony is used as Macbeth and Banquo are shocked but the audience already know this to be true ‘what can the devil speak true?’ Banquo refers to the witches as devils whereas Macbeth does not ‘They met me in the day of success’. Macbeth likes to see the witches as ‘success’ as a good part of his life someone that he might remember all his life. As Soon as Macbeth receives the good news he immediately writes a letter to Lady Macbeth and explains the day was perfect for him and that he is now Thane of Cawdor as the three witches had predicted.
Tension is increased further when thinking about the witches and their absurd prophecy, Macbeth receives news from messengers that he is the new Thane of Cawdor ‘why do you dress me in borrowed robes’. He discusses with the messengers that the Thane of Cawdor lives so how can he be Thane of Cawdor. The messenger tells him about the betrayal the previous Thane of Cawdor faced and that now Macbeth is the new heir. The use of clothes imagery emphasises how Macbeth is taking on a new role. It seems to the audiences as if this role is cursed because the old Thane of Cawdor was a traitor and now that Macbeth is the new Thane of Cawdor, he will do the same thing as he is thinking about killing the king. Macbeth starts to think about the prophecies the witches had predicted and how the first one has become true. This makes him think about the other prophecies and how soon he will become a king He then believes he is destined to be king and because of that he pursues the prediction.
One of the many reasons why Macbeth does not want to kill King Duncan is that he has been conscience-stricken, but continues referring to one reason “what will people think?” He cannot bear to stand the fact of what people will say as well as the accusations. Lady Macbeth taunts Macbeth as she say’s ‘too full of the milk of human kindnesses” she tries to put him down by saying he isn’t a man. Lady Macbeth plays a major role in the play as she persuades Macbeth to carry on with the killing and this is exactly what the witches wanted Macbeth to do. Therefore, Lady Macbeth is a witch-like character as she and the three witches have the same goal, which is death of King Duncan. She even speaks like the witches “Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out” the language used is violent and horrific. She has total control over everything, ‘leave the rest to me’ shows how willing she is to plan everything and has thought about the consequences and accomplishments many times before. Then again in act two after Macbeth had murdered Duncan, Macbeth says ‘This is a sorry sight’, but Lady Macbeth again shows her power over Macbeth. ‘A foolish thing to say a sorry sight’. It is like Macbeth needs lady Macbeths to comfort him and support him. She manipulates Macbeth mind and actions by playing with his pride and manliness to actually convince Macbeth to go through with the killing. ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man’. This tells the contemporary audience that Lady Macbeth is a witch-like character and also that she influences Macbeth more than the witches. As Macbeth is not confident to kill the king even after the first prediction has come true but Lady Macbeth encourages him to take an enormous step by killing the king. The witches predict the future but Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to accomplish these predictions. Therefore, Lady Macbeth plays a significant part in Macbeth’s downfall.
In the beginning of the play when Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches Banquo is more suspicious among them. He asks them if they are real and challenges them to predict his future. He is rather suspicious and is not sure if evil can speak the truth. He warns Macbeth about what the witches had said, the witches give Macbeth hope but then to catch them out with a deadly trap. Later on in the play when Macbeth has become king, only Banquo still knows about the meeting with the witches. As the weird woman promised, and I fear Thou play’ed most foully for’t” Knowing that Banquo’s descendants will become king, he wants both Banquo and his son dead. He wants his son dead as well, so there will be no descendents of Banquo to get revenge upon Macbeth. Macbeth sends for Banquo and his son to get killed but his son Fleance escapes. The ghost of Banquo later on returns to haunt Macbeth at the banquet in Act Three. Banquo did not act or believe what the three witches had predicted as Macbeth had this resulted in Banquo’s death. So again this suggests it was the witch’s fault for his downfall as the made Macbeth think he was untouchable.
Lady Macbeth can be called witch-like as she persuaded Macbeth to commit murder; a sin in any religion but was particularly bad in Elizabethan 7time due to the belief in the divine rights of kings. All the responsibility cannot be bestowed on Lady Macbeth however since Macbeth should not have listened to her. He should have followed his own instinct, but as Lady Macbeth was his partner, she had a huge impact on him. However Lady Macbeth wanted to become a queen so she was willing to sacrifice anything to achieve her ambitions. A witch can also control men and use their power for their own use, which is what she did. She challenges Macbeth’s man-hood and successfully persuades Macbeth to kill. Macbeth loves his wife and would do anything to make her happy, killing Duncan and getting ultimate power is exactly what she wants ‘My hands are of your colour, but I shame To wear a heart so white’. Lady Macbeth is driven by the thought of more power and is willing to do anything to achieve this.
Macbeth goes to see the witches in Act 4 Scene 1 because he wants to know whether he will be defeated by Macduff. Macbeth doubts his position as he fears whilst Macduff will kill Macbeth and overthrow his thrown. When meeting with he witches they tell him that he could not be killed from anyone woman born, as everyone is born and that he is not in danger unless the forest surrounds his castle ‘ the power of man: for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth’. This prophecy boosts his confidence as there is no one that isn’t woman born and it would be such an absurd idea of the forest knocking on his door. He originally feared that Macduff would kill him but after the apparitions he feels untouchable and invincible. Macbeth is tricked by the witches into thinking that he was untouchable; the blinded confidence leading to his death. But nearing the end of the play Malcolm’s army held branches above themselves therefore making an illusion that the forest is actually moving towards him. Macbeth knows that the witches were telling him half-truths and now that he is in great danger. He also found out that Macduff was not woman born but ripped from his mother’s womb. The predictions do come true as Macduff kills Macbeth and Macduff is not a woman born but actually ripped from his mother’s womb.
Ultimately the witches play a major part in the play as they predict Macbeth’s success. When the first prediction came true he realised that there is a higher status and power he can achieve. They cleverly embedded greed and evil in his head. In addition this left him pondering on how to achieve is next ambition. This can be interpreted, as the witches being the downfall of Macbeth, as the witches manipulate Macbeth’s action. Macbeth thought that the witches have predicted his success whereas they had prepared his downfall.
