William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the tragic tale of a warrior, Macbeth, corrupted by power and greed. This tragedy could be explained two very different ways. One explanation is that Macbeth is lead down a wicked road by fate. On the other hand, perhaps there is no such force as fate, which therefore indicates that Macbeth himself made the choices that led to his downfall. However, the actions he performed were provoked the three witches, his uncontrolled ambition for power and because he was incompetent to be a King.

The witches had a huge impact on Macbeth’s decisions. The witches plan the downfall of Macbeth by arousing the evilness inside of Macbeth. They do not directly harm him but they tell him predictions of his future and know that he will act upon them. The witches first say, “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 here after” (Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 50-53). The thane of Glamis he is but the thane of Cawdor is still alive. How could he also be thane of Cawdor?  Perhaps the witches are lying and they are trying to play with his mind. After the witches disappear, Ross and Angus approach Macbeth and Banquo to let him know that Duncan has appointed him as the “thane of Cawdor” (Act 1, Scene 3, Line 110). Now he is “Glamis, and thane of Cawdor: [and] The greatest is behind” (Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 124-125). The first two prophecies have been fulfilled and the greatest prophecy of them all is the only one left. Macbeth, for the first time, considers the idea of murdering Duncan. He takes his first step to his downfall. Once again, the witches poison Macbeth’s mind with over confidence. Macbeth tries to find the witches in a dark cave. When he finds them, they present him with three apparitions, two of which ignite his confidence. These two apparitions are a bloody child and a child with a crown on his head, holding a tree. They told him “Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth,” and “Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until Great Birnam wood to High Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him” (Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 85-87, 100-102). These apparitions tell Macbeth that a man born of a woman cannot harm him and Macbeth cannot be harmed unless the forest of Birnam moves to Dunsinane. He assumes that all people are born of a woman and it is impossible for a forest to move. However, the child with crown is Malcolm with a branch from the Birnam Forest and the bloody child actually represents Macduff because he did not have a natural birth. He “was from his mother’s womb Untimely ripp’d” (Act 5, Scene 8, Lines 19-20). Macduff was delivered prematurely, probably by Caesarian section. Therefore, he was not technically born as a child. Nonetheless, Macbeth was clueless because when the witches presented the three apparitions to Macbeth, they showed them in such a way that Macbeth would misinterpret them. Therefore, he thought he was invincible so he made outrageous decisions that would lead to his brutal death at the end of the play. It was Macbeth’s free will, incorporated with the influence of the witch’s prophesises, which would lead to his end.

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Macbeth’s vaulting ambition for power pushes him to take many innocent lives. He begins his murder spree by murdering Duncan and commits many other murders to keep his true face hidden from the public. He does not want to lose the kingship and he would do anything to retain it. After murdering many people and becoming King of Scotland, Macbeth is not fully satisfied. He remembers that the witches had some predictions for Banquo when they first met. “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” (Act 1, Scene 3, Line 70). Macbeth feels that “To be thus is ...

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