WHICH ARE THE WITCHES?
Potent Puppeteers or Powerless Prophets?
Introduction
Out of all the characters in Macbeth, the three witches are the most difficult to understand and the most open to interpretation. The “weird sisters”, as they are referred to, are the first characters to appear in the play and immediately grab our attention. The witches are distinctly different from all the other characters in many ways: the way they look, the way they talk, and the way they affect events. While they are undoubtedly evil, the reader is left to wonder whether they have a direct impact on Macbeth’s actions, or whether they simply forecast events that would have happened anyway.
In Shakespeare’s time, witches were widely believed to both exist and to be active agents of evil. In the European witch-hunts between 1400 and 1700, courts sentenced to death an estimated 70,000-100,000 people for diabolical witchcraft and harmful magic. Macbeth was written in 1606. “Witches” were mostly older, single, women on the outskirts of society. These people were accused of cannibalism, meeting with other witches in sabbats, and indulging in sexual orgies with the devil. It is important to understand that Macbeth was written by Shakespeare as a tribute play to King James I, who had a fantastic obsession with witchcraft. Therefore, Shakespeare most likely included the three witches to appease and engage his king.
Regardless of their impact on Macbeth, the three witches created by Shakespeare have had an undeniable impact on our understanding of witches today. We often think of witches as old female hags, stirring up wild concoctions in a simmering cauldron. We picture them as malevolent agents of evil speaking in mysterious rhymes, capable of appearing and disappearing at a moment’s notice. This is precisely as Shakespeare drew up the witches in his play. Famous rhyming couplets that we still recognize today include “Double, double, toil and trouble, / Fire burn and cauldron bubble”, as well as “By the pricking of my thumbs, /something evil this way comes”, both in in Act 4, Scene I.
We know that the witches are unique characters, we know why Shakespeare created them, and we know about their impact on culture today. However, the most important, as well as the most difficult, question to answer is this: What is the role of the witches in the play? Are they directly responsible for leading Macbeth into his path of evil, or do they simply predict inevitable events? Let us examine two contrasting viewpoints. Then, you be the judge.
Potent Puppeteers
It is immediately obvious to an astute observer that the witches are direct catalysts for Macbeth’s actions. We can infer that not until Macbeth meets the witches in Act I, Scene 3 does the thought of being king even occur to him, as he muses that “To be king stands not within the prospect of belief.” Macbeth seems perfectly happy with his position, serving King Duncan as the Thane of Glamis, and cannot conceive of killing such a wise and able ruler. It is only the eerie accuracy of the witches’ prophecy regarding him becoming Thane of Cawdor that causes Macbeth to reflect about becoming king. Therefore, we can say that becoming king was not an original idea that would have come to Macbeth in any case. The prophecies of the witches directly placed this idea in Macbeth’s mind, where it did grow to the point that it consumed him.
We can also see that Macbeth’s murder of Duncan was not inevitable by his extreme reluctance to go through with the task. Macbeth voices his hesitance on several occasions, as in Act I, Scene 4, where he hopefully suggests “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir.” The only reason that Macbeth performs the murder is because of the supreme pressure exerted on him by his wife, Lady Macbeth. The murder of Duncan only occurs to Lady Macbeth when Macbeth writes her a letter informing her of his encounter with the witches. Therefore, the witches act indirectly through Lady Macbeth to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan. Even then, Macbeth feels immediate guilt about the murder, as he seemingly cannot wash away the blood on his hands. Macbeth’s reluctance to kill Duncan shows us that it is not in his character to murder for power. Rather, the three witches directly corrupt him, and it is unreasonable to suggest that he would have killed Duncan without their prophecies.
While the murder of Duncan is clearly a result of the influence of the witches, the killing of Banquo is also the sole result of the three witches. One of Macbeth’s first actions upon receiving his crown is to dispose of Banquo and his heirs. Why does Macbeth do this? Because of the witches, of course. Macbeth remembers and fears the prophecy in Act I; Scene 3 that Banquo “shalt get kings.” In his desperate attempts to hold onto his power, Macbeth enlists executioners to kill his close friend Banquo and his son Fleance. Macbeth’s fear of the witches’ prophecies is the only reason that Macbeth does this. We once again see that Macbeth is uncomfortable with murder, as he sees the ghost of Banquo immediately after the execution.
Macbeth’s complete dependency and trust in the prophecies of the witches becomes only more apparent, as he makes it his first priority after Banquo’s death to visit the weird sisters again. Here, Macbeth receives three messages that will ultimately lead to his doom: beware Macduff, do not fear until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill, and no man of woman born will harm you. Contrary to the opposite prophecies, these prognostications do not cause Macbeth to do something evil. Perhaps these are more harmful, for they instead lull Macbeth into inaction and a false sense of safeness. As Hecate points out, “Security is mortals' chiefest enemy.” While Macbeth, like any other sensible ruler, would have otherwise been alert and on the lookout for invading armies and rebellion within, Macbeth takes peace in knowing that the prophecies are impossible. For this reason, Macbeth fails to defend himself and his castle properly, and is killed by Macduff when the prophecies turn true. Of all the witches’ prophecies, perhaps the last three were the most harmful in the long run to Macbeth’s prosperity.
Upon examining the play, there is no doubt that Macbeth is directly influenced by the witches’ to perform evil actions that ultimately lead to his demise. Without the witches, Macbeth’s character shows us that he could easily have been a prosperous and successful administrator of Duncan’s kingdom. Instead, Macbeth blind faith in the power of the witches lures him into committing deeds harmful to himself, and the result is a short life ending in infamy and disgrace. Potent puppeteers indeed.
Powerless Prophets
Although a compelling case can be made for Macbeth being simply a victim of the witches’ all-seeing powers, it is clear by looking deeper that Macbeth as a person is a disaster waiting to happen. Although the witches played a role in Macbeth’s downfall, the demise of Macbeth as a tragic hero is inevitable from the start of the play.
When we first meet Macbeth, he is rising up the ranks of the Scottish government following a decisive military victory. All of this happens before the witches make any contact with Macbeth. The witches, when they tell Macbeth he will be king, are simply planting an idea in Macbeth’s mind that would have eventually taken root anyway. Macbeth is a powerful leader with remarkable prowess in battle. Considering these valuable traits and Duncan’s obvious affection towards him, it is certain that Macbeth will eventually reach a position where the monarchy is one kill away. Given Macbeth’s ambitious character, as well as the external forces pressuring him, it is impossible to argue that Macbeth would seize the opportunity to become king of Scotland.
Ultimately, the major reasons that Macbeth kills Duncan are completely independent of the witches’ prophecies. Macbeth, as a classic tragic hero, is burdened with hamartia: his uncontrollable desire for power, and the ease with which he is manipulated. Macbeth even admits that he cannot control his craving for domination over Scotland when he says in Act I, Scene 7 “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other.” Witches or not, Macbeth does not possess the self-control to prevent himself from doing this terrible action.
The other, more obvious, factor in Macbeth killing Duncan is the immense pressure exerted on him by Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is a classic temptress. She is even more ambitious than Macbeth, and she will not be satisfied living an above average life. Lady Macbeth, through assaulting her husband’s manhood, shamelessly peer pressures the on-the-fence Macbeth into murdering Duncan. She is a twisted, individual who is hungry for power and will do anything to get it, as seen when she says she would rather kill her own baby than break a promise. Although Macbeth’s letter regarding the witches conveys the idea of Macbeth becoming king to her, it is hard to see how such an aggressive individual would not eventually conceive of this notion. Considering all of Macbeth’s inner as well as external pressures pushing him towards the throne, it is apparent that the murder of Duncan is unpreventable. The witches simply push Macbeth down a slide of self-destruction that he would have fallen down sooner-or-later anyway.
While we know that the Duncan’s killing is inevitable, the subsequent evil deeds and eventual downfall of Macbeth are also in no way brought about by the weird sisters. Immediately following Duncan’s death, Macbeth sees fit to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, and this is in fact as a result of the witches’ prophecy. However, Banquo was likely on the hit list anyway, for his close friendship with and knowledge of Macbeth would have led him to suspect his comrade. Of course, Banquo’s death leads to the start of the visions and ghosts that only Macbeth can see. However, these are in no way brought about by the witches; they are instead simply byproducts of Macbeth’s immense guilt.
Although they seem vital, the three apparitions that the witches summon to warn Macbeth are in fact simple prognostications that have no direct effect on the events of the play. “Beware Macduff” is something Macbeth already knows. The next two prophecies seemingly lull the king into a false sense of security, which leads to his demise. But, these are simply forecasts of things that will happen. Regardless of whether or not the witches said anything, a man not born of woman will kill Macbeth, and Birnam Wood will seemingly move toward Dunsinane Hill. Malcolm’s army and Macduff are both unaware of the prophecy. One might argue that Macbeth would have prepared better defenses absent the prophecies. However, Macbeth’s army is no match for those of Malcolm and Macduff, which are bolstered by a huge force from England. Also, the second prophecy regarding children born of women has no actual effect on the one-on-one battle between Macduff and Macbeth. So though Macbeth might have been more ready for the attacks of Macduff and Malcolm, he would have fallen from grace and experienced his peripetia even without the witches’ forecasts.
Overall, Macbeth is a story of a tragic hero that is simply supplemented by the presence of witches. Macbeth is a protagonist whose tragic flaws will inevitably lead to his downfall. The witches have no direct effect on the events of the plot, and they are simply included by Shakespeare to arouse King James’ interest.
We’ve given you two arguments. Now, the decision is yours.
Which are the witches? Potent puppeteers, or powerless prophets?
Introduction
Out of all the characters in Macbeth, the three witches are the most difficult to understand and the most open to interpretation. The “weird sisters”, as they are referred to, are the first characters to appear in the play and immediately grab our attention. The witches are distinctly different from all the other characters in many ways: the way they look, the way they talk, and the way they affect events. While they are undoubtedly evil, the reader is left to wonder whether they have a direct impact on Macbeth’s actions, or whether they simply forecast events that would have happened anyway.
In Shakespeare’s time, witches were widely believed to both exist and to be active agents of evil. In the European witch-hunts between 1400 and 1700, courts sentenced to death an estimated 70,000-100,000 people for diabolical witchcraft and harmful magic. Macbeth was written in 1606. “Witches” were mostly older, single, women on the outskirts of society. These people were accused of cannibalism, meeting with other witches in sabbats, and indulging in sexual orgies with the devil. It is important to understand that Macbeth was written by Shakespeare as a tribute play to King James I, who had a fantastic obsession with witchcraft. Therefore, Shakespeare most likely included the three witches to appease and engage his king.
Regardless of their impact on Macbeth, the three witches created by Shakespeare have had an undeniable impact on our understanding of witches today. We often think of witches as old female hags, stirring up wild concoctions in a simmering cauldron. We picture them as malevolent agents of evil speaking in mysterious rhymes, capable of appearing and disappearing at a moment’s notice. This is precisely as Shakespeare drew up the witches in his play. Famous rhyming couplets that we still recognize today include “Double, double, toil and trouble, / Fire burn and cauldron bubble”, as well as “By the pricking of my thumbs, /something evil this way comes”, both in in Act 4, Scene I.
We know that the witches are unique characters, we know why Shakespeare created them, and we know about their impact on culture today. However, the most important, as well as the most difficult, question to answer is this: What is the role of the witches in the play? Are they directly responsible for leading Macbeth into his path of evil, or do they simply predict inevitable events? Let us examine two contrasting viewpoints. Then, you be the judge.
Potent Puppeteers
It is immediately obvious to an astute observer that the witches are direct catalysts for Macbeth’s actions. We can infer that not until Macbeth meets the witches in Act I, Scene 3 does the thought of being king even occur to him, as he muses that “To be king stands not within the prospect of belief.” Macbeth seems perfectly happy with his position, serving King Duncan as the Thane of Glamis, and cannot conceive of killing such a wise and able ruler. It is only the eerie accuracy of the witches’ prophecy regarding him becoming Thane of Cawdor that causes Macbeth to reflect about becoming king. Therefore, we can say that becoming king was not an original idea that would have come to Macbeth in any case. The prophecies of the witches directly placed this idea in Macbeth’s mind, where it did grow to the point that it consumed him.
We can also see that Macbeth’s murder of Duncan was not inevitable by his extreme reluctance to go through with the task. Macbeth voices his hesitance on several occasions, as in Act I, Scene 4, where he hopefully suggests “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir.” The only reason that Macbeth performs the murder is because of the supreme pressure exerted on him by his wife, Lady Macbeth. The murder of Duncan only occurs to Lady Macbeth when Macbeth writes her a letter informing her of his encounter with the witches. Therefore, the witches act indirectly through Lady Macbeth to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan. Even then, Macbeth feels immediate guilt about the murder, as he seemingly cannot wash away the blood on his hands. Macbeth’s reluctance to kill Duncan shows us that it is not in his character to murder for power. Rather, the three witches directly corrupt him, and it is unreasonable to suggest that he would have killed Duncan without their prophecies.
While the murder of Duncan is clearly a result of the influence of the witches, the killing of Banquo is also the sole result of the three witches. One of Macbeth’s first actions upon receiving his crown is to dispose of Banquo and his heirs. Why does Macbeth do this? Because of the witches, of course. Macbeth remembers and fears the prophecy in Act I; Scene 3 that Banquo “shalt get kings.” In his desperate attempts to hold onto his power, Macbeth enlists executioners to kill his close friend Banquo and his son Fleance. Macbeth’s fear of the witches’ prophecies is the only reason that Macbeth does this. We once again see that Macbeth is uncomfortable with murder, as he sees the ghost of Banquo immediately after the execution.
Macbeth’s complete dependency and trust in the prophecies of the witches becomes only more apparent, as he makes it his first priority after Banquo’s death to visit the weird sisters again. Here, Macbeth receives three messages that will ultimately lead to his doom: beware Macduff, do not fear until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill, and no man of woman born will harm you. Contrary to the opposite prophecies, these prognostications do not cause Macbeth to do something evil. Perhaps these are more harmful, for they instead lull Macbeth into inaction and a false sense of safeness. As Hecate points out, “Security is mortals' chiefest enemy.” While Macbeth, like any other sensible ruler, would have otherwise been alert and on the lookout for invading armies and rebellion within, Macbeth takes peace in knowing that the prophecies are impossible. For this reason, Macbeth fails to defend himself and his castle properly, and is killed by Macduff when the prophecies turn true. Of all the witches’ prophecies, perhaps the last three were the most harmful in the long run to Macbeth’s prosperity.
Upon examining the play, there is no doubt that Macbeth is directly influenced by the witches’ to perform evil actions that ultimately lead to his demise. Without the witches, Macbeth’s character shows us that he could easily have been a prosperous and successful administrator of Duncan’s kingdom. Instead, Macbeth blind faith in the power of the witches lures him into committing deeds harmful to himself, and the result is a short life ending in infamy and disgrace. Potent puppeteers indeed.
Powerless Prophets
Although a compelling case can be made for Macbeth being simply a victim of the witches’ all-seeing powers, it is clear by looking deeper that Macbeth as a person is a disaster waiting to happen. Although the witches played a role in Macbeth’s downfall, the demise of Macbeth as a tragic hero is inevitable from the start of the play.
When we first meet Macbeth, he is rising up the ranks of the Scottish government following a decisive military victory. All of this happens before the witches make any contact with Macbeth. The witches, when they tell Macbeth he will be king, are simply planting an idea in Macbeth’s mind that would have eventually taken root anyway. Macbeth is a powerful leader with remarkable prowess in battle. Considering these valuable traits and Duncan’s obvious affection towards him, it is certain that Macbeth will eventually reach a position where the monarchy is one kill away. Given Macbeth’s ambitious character, as well as the external forces pressuring him, it is impossible to argue that Macbeth would seize the opportunity to become king of Scotland.
Ultimately, the major reasons that Macbeth kills Duncan are completely independent of the witches’ prophecies. Macbeth, as a classic tragic hero, is burdened with hamartia: his uncontrollable desire for power, and the ease with which he is manipulated. Macbeth even admits that he cannot control his craving for domination over Scotland when he says in Act I, Scene 7 “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other.” Witches or not, Macbeth does not possess the self-control to prevent himself from doing this terrible action.
The other, more obvious, factor in Macbeth killing Duncan is the immense pressure exerted on him by Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is a classic temptress. She is even more ambitious than Macbeth, and she will not be satisfied living an above average life. Lady Macbeth, through assaulting her husband’s manhood, shamelessly peer pressures the on-the-fence Macbeth into murdering Duncan. She is a twisted, individual who is hungry for power and will do anything to get it, as seen when she says she would rather kill her own baby than break a promise. Although Macbeth’s letter regarding the witches conveys the idea of Macbeth becoming king to her, it is hard to see how such an aggressive individual would not eventually conceive of this notion. Considering all of Macbeth’s inner as well as external pressures pushing him towards the throne, it is apparent that the murder of Duncan is unpreventable. The witches simply push Macbeth down a slide of self-destruction that he would have fallen down sooner-or-later anyway.
While we know that the Duncan’s killing is inevitable, the subsequent evil deeds and eventual downfall of Macbeth are also in no way brought about by the weird sisters. Immediately following Duncan’s death, Macbeth sees fit to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, and this is in fact as a result of the witches’ prophecy. However, Banquo was likely on the hit list anyway, for his close friendship with and knowledge of Macbeth would have led him to suspect his comrade. Of course, Banquo’s death leads to the start of the visions and ghosts that only Macbeth can see. However, these are in no way brought about by the witches; they are instead simply byproducts of Macbeth’s immense guilt.
Although they seem vital, the three apparitions that the witches summon to warn Macbeth are in fact simple prognostications that have no direct effect on the events of the play. “Beware Macduff” is something Macbeth already knows. The next two prophecies seemingly lull the king into a false sense of security, which leads to his demise. But, these are simply forecasts of things that will happen. Regardless of whether or not the witches said anything, a man not born of woman will kill Macbeth, and Birnam Wood will seemingly move toward Dunsinane Hill. Malcolm’s army and Macduff are both unaware of the prophecy. One might argue that Macbeth would have prepared better defenses absent the prophecies. However, Macbeth’s army is no match for those of Malcolm and Macduff, which are bolstered by a huge force from England. Also, the second prophecy regarding children born of women has no actual effect on the one-on-one battle between Macduff and Macbeth. So though Macbeth might have been more ready for the attacks of Macduff and Malcolm, he would have fallen from grace and experienced his peripetia even without the witches’ forecasts.
Overall, Macbeth is a story of a tragic hero that is simply supplemented by the presence of witches. Macbeth is a protagonist whose tragic flaws will inevitably lead to his downfall. The witches have no direct effect on the events of the plot, and they are simply included by Shakespeare to arouse King James’ interest.
We’ve given you two arguments. Now, the decision is yours.
Which are the witches? Potent puppeteers, or powerless prophets?
