The Witches

The witches are almost like a catalyst within Macbeth. The thought of killing Duncan may have never entered Macbeth’s mind if he hadn’t heard the witch’s prophecy. He may have become king through natural circumstances and therefore risen to be a better king and a better man.

This may also be why Lady Macbeth is sometimes considered to be another witch because she also catalyses Macbeth’s killing of Duncan. Even with the witches prophecy Macbeth still could have made the decision not to kill Duncan but Lady Macbeth topples his decision in the witch’s favour.

 The witches lead to Macbeth’s overall change in character throughout the play. However, the witches don’t only affect Macbeth they also affect Banquo and his concern of their prophecy led to his death. Lady Macbeth’s madness and eventual death can also be blamed on the witches, their effect on her husband was crucial in her paranoia. The witches need to be in Macbeth because they are the root of all the large dramatic events in hey play.

The witches lead Macbeth towards his own downfall. They appear to him one last time in act 4, scene 1, and show him four apparitions. The second apparition causes Macbeth to become too cocky with his morality. Once he has heard,

“None of woman born shall harm Macbeth”

Macbeth believes he is invincible which allows him to take risks he perhaps wouldn’t have taken if he had not heard what the witches and apparitions had to say.

The witches do add to the general understanding of the play. They appear periodically and alter the play with their presence, even when they are absent echoes of their language appear in Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s speech. Without the witches as a catalyst for events Macbeth would be a very different play.