Macbeth, or who actors call it That Scottish Play due to a superstition of a curse on the play, is the story of a Thane, a military nobleman, who hears a prophecy from three witches that he will become not only the Thane of Cawdor, the highest-ranking Thane, but also the King of the land. His best friend and comrade in arms, Banquo, also learns that his linage of sons will be the king thereafter. Soon after this Macbeth commits regicide because his wife pressures him into it after he has second thoughts. The King’s sons run away as soon as the get wind of what has happened because most would think they killed the king since they were next in the line for the throne. Because Macbeth is the Highest ranking military official he is named king of the land.…
In the beginning of Macbeth there were three witches that appeared and told Banquo and Macbeth prophecies of their future. When the witches told Macbeth his prophecy they said he would become king. However when they told Banquo’s prophecy they revealed that his children would also become rulers. Due to the witches telling them these prophecies there were some bloody events; another thing that came from the prophecies was some truth. Later on, after Macbeth had become king and some blood was shed, Macbeth saw the three witches once again.…
(2.1.35-39). Macbeth is so conflicted as he imagines the bloody dagger which is a symbol of the murder that he is about to commit. Macbeth reveals his mental state as he apparently sees the dagger in front of him but cannot reach or touch it which may suggest his troubled conscience as he contemplating whether or not he should murder the king for his selfish ambition. Macbeth describes the blood that appears to drench “on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, / Which was not so before” (2.1.46-47). Although the floating dagger foreshadows the violence that Macbeth commits, Shakespeare exposes the apprehensive state that Macbeth is in as he contemplates murder.…
While Macbeth is waiting to kill Duncan, he sees a dagger in front of him and says, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee” (2.1.33-34). In this quote, Macbeth is imagining a knife floating in mid air, and he is trying to reach for it. This quote darkens the plot, because it shows the beginnings of Macbeth’s madness.…
William Shakespeare wrote many tragedies one, of which, was Macbeth. Macbeth is based on historical facts and was performed in front of King James I. Shakespeare introduces Macbeth, who is a character that was similar to King James. Unlike James, Macbeth was a selfish and insane person. Some theories say that Shakespeare uses the external forces in Macbeth to explain Macbeth’s ambitions, downfall, and death. This is an interesting theory that could possibly be true in some cases, but Macbeth is in control over his own thoughts and actions.…
In Macbeth written by Shakespeare, Macbeth is a very prideful and confused person that did anything to get the title of being king, in the beginning of the book he is given three apparitions and in two of those apparitions are symbols that help support a theme. Shakespeare uses the armed head and the bloody child to convey that pride in people can keep them from seeing what's right in front of them. Shakespeare uses the symbol of an armed head or a head with helmet, to support the theme that pride in people can get in the way of how they think or act. When Macbeth is given the apparitions he has to look into something and things appear that connect to the apparitions, in the first apparition he looks and sees the armed head.…
The supernatural behavior according to The Oxford Dictionary “includes all those phenomena, which cannot be explained by the accepted laws of natural science or by physical laws.” A belief in the existence of the supernatural: ghosts, fairies, witches etc., has been universal in all ages and times. Throughout one of Shakespeare’s famous plays The Tragedy of Macbeth, many supernatural behaviors are witnessed and proved, many people believed in it more back then, than now. Throughout the story Macbeth, who was cruel and selfish, tried to kill king Duncan who was the king of Scotland, with his wife Lady Macbeth. While trying to attain the throne he encountered some difficulties from one of his best friends and high noble men Banquo.…
In “Macbeth” by Shakespeare, In Act 4 scenes 1 pages 130-144, I read about Three witches in a cave stirring a cauldron with a mix of disgusting ingredients, all the while chanting “double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble” (p130 lines 10-11). Hecate makes an appearance and sing along but leaves before Macbeth enters. He demands answers from the witches about his future. The witches use a spell to summon some apparitions. The first apparition is an armed head that warns Macbeth of Macduff the Thane of Fife.…
They were thought to be able to see into the future; dry up springs; change whether and make themselves invisible. For Lady Macbeth to almost have the same personality as the witches and for Macbeth to have dealing with the witches, it was a grave sin to a Shakespearean…
Heroes are people who take on extraordinary actions in extreme circumstances. They tend to be selfless and compassionate, willing to sacrifice for the sake of others. Yet monsters tend to be on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. They are people who have a full understanding of the harm they cause and commit their actions regardless without any remorse. They enjoy seeing others suffer.…
The witches prophecies are the indirect cause of the madness that Macbeth develops towards the end of the play. The witches gave Macbeth his prophecies, such as becoming king and not being killed by a man born of woman. These prophecies were their manipulation, the ‘prophesies ' could have been what the witches wanted to happen. By telling Macbeth they were prophetic, they manipulate him into fulfilling the actions that the witches wanted to be fulfilled. The witches are some of the best manipulators in history.…
Everyone in Shakespeare’s time found the supernatural fascinating. One may think of witches as being hags with hooked noses that cast spells, ride broomsticks and work for the devil. “In general, witchcraft was regarded as an evil practice, involving some kind of relationship with the devil, and was therefore considered a threat to social stability” (The Historical Context of Macbeth Shakespeare). Shakespeare interprets the supernatural of witches, magic, unnatural and evil by expressing his beliefs in the play, Macbeth very clearly. He portrays three deformed women with control over the weather and the ability to predict the future.…
The manner of the witches’ prophecy also highlights the brilliance of the plot they have and highlight Shakespeare’s ability to write. Shakespeare cannot have his witches directly cast a spell on Macbeth,…
Power can influence individuals, because it can cause someone to become power hungry and treat having power as the ultimate thing in life. On the other side people with power can be influenced to become arrogant and abuse their power and use it in a negative way. In the beginning of Macbeth, Macbeth was not looking for the throne until he was influenced by the witches that he should be king. This led Macbeth to become power hungry and eventually kill King Duncan and take the Scottish Throne. Macbeth went from not even thinking about the Throne to treating it as his ultimate goal in life.…
The Inevitable Death of Macbeth William Shakespeare, in this tragedy Macbeth, leaves it up to the audience to decide whether it is Macbeth’s fate or his choices that leave him with people cheering at his head being raised on a post. Throughout the play the audience gets to see many occurrences of supernatural powers and also Macbeth’s ambition. These contradicting elements make it difficult for the audience to decide whether the main theme of this play is Macbeth’s fate and the supernatural powers that lead to his death or his choices and ambition. Macbeth’s iconic “Tomorrow” soliloquy captures this main theme of fate and the paranormal. As he goes through the speech, he connects life to a play, which follows a script all the way until the…