Macbeth By Shakespeare Essay Example

with the current events at that time, a battle between Scotland and Norway, and the future, most unnatural events, when Macbeth commits the unholy murder of Duncan, and thus going against the Divine ight of Kings and altering nature, like thunder and lightening. The first segment of dialogue in the play, which is spoken by the first witch, provides us with evidence that the witches can control the elements, in particular the weather.Also it makes them seem powerful, I get this impression because of the question mark at the end of the dialogue.

Also the conditions of weather that are in question are negative and cold. This further more associates the witches with darkness and evil: "When shall we three met again In thunder, lightening, or in rain? " The witches use riddles and encrypted messages that, in my opinion, add a sort of arcane mbience to the play, added the fact that people may interpret these riddles differently makes it very volatile play, anything could happen depending who it's said to.An example of such riddles: " When the hurly-burly's done, when the battle's lost and won. " What this means is when the battle, or hurly-burly, is finished Scotland win the battle with Norway but it's the beginning o the end of Scotland as a nation, or kingdom. The next line, spoken by the 3rd witch, indicates their ability to see into the future, it is as follows: "That will be ere the set of sun" What this is saying is that the battle will end at sunset. The next three lines of dialogue are strong evidence that the witches can see into the

future and tie in Macbeth with the witches and evil.

These lines are again triggered by the first witch, this could represent a sense of authority and leadership, the second answers and the third sort of explains the second's answer. This order of speech may resemble that society the witches have long seeked. Anyway, the latter two lines of the three line segment are of importance. The second witch mentions a place, "upon the heath" and the third line is of interest as this ties Macbeth with darkness and evil.The next segment portrays the witches as spiritual entities by discussing their familiars, links with the spiritual world, which in this case are a cat and toad, a Greymalkin and a Paddock.

The next two lines provide extremely strong evidence that the witches love evil: "Fair is foul and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air;" The first line shows that the witches freely embrace evil and repel goodness and light. The 2nd line again reminds us of that spiritual entity they can be seen as.Also this is the first time their movement is described, they're described as hovering through filthy air and fog, both of which are unclear. In Macbeth's first line of dialogue he's immediately associated with evil, by mentioning: "So foul and fair a day I have not seen" What he is saying is that the weather is foul, I know this because they witches meet in foul whether and from those first stage directions.

What he means by fair is that the Scots won the battle, this proves the witches correct and they can foretell. What Banquo says gives the

witches the sense of ambiguity that some may fear.He refers to them as "What are these", not "Who are these" by calling them "what" gives them an artificial property, whereas "who" gives them some sort of personality. He also mentions them as not being earthly inhabitants, again to their surrealness. However despite their imperfections Banquos English, which suggests them to be human as opposed to objects.

Added the fact that the witches seem to have properties and attributes that force people to interpret them as women, but they are prevented from doing so by the beards of the witches.The next 3 lines are very important as they plant the fatal seed of ambition in Macbeth's mind. The first line refers to him as Thane of Glamis, which he expects, the second, Cawdar, which astounds and then the third as King, which astounds him even ore so and puts him into an overwhelming sense of shock. Banquo then speaks and questions Macbeth and the witches sound, by what they've said to Macbeth, this may show that Banquo is a strong friend but he may also be sarcastic and not trust or believe the witches.

He also refers to Macbeth as: "Of noble having, and of royal hope" He's saying that the person Macbeth looks upto now, the king, he will eventually become one way or another, hence the words "royal hope". Now the witches speak to Banquo, greeted by 'hail' three times, suggesting inferiority to his friend, Macbeth. They say: "Hail Hail Hail Lesser than Macbeth, and greater Not so happy, yet much happier Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail Macbeth and

Banquo! " What they mean in the first line is that currently Banquo is less than Macbeth but possibly his spouse will rise higher than him.

The second line means that at present maybe unhappy but his spouse will be. This means Banquo shan't be a king but he shall father kings. Macbeth then comes out of shock to speak to them and refer to them as "imperfect speakers" or lyers. He questions how he'll become king with too many obstacles in his wakening and is somewhat too sure that the Thane of Cawdor lives, possibly not trusting hem due to their ambiguous looks, a stereotypical view again: "Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more.

By sineth death I know I am Thane of Glamis But how of Cawdor?The Thane of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman, and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor" I am now moving on to scene 3 act 1, when the witches curse a woman's husband, the pilot of the Tiger, a famous ship, for not giving a witch some chestnuts and not showing any fear toward the witch. The three witches again meet upon a heath in thunder and lightening, showing they don't like to differ. The first witch asks where the second has been and she replies "Killing swine" or killing pigs, deaths of livestock were blamed on witches, witches were common scapegoats.The third witch then procedes to ask the first where had she been, she tells the witches she asked a woman eating chestnuts for some and the 'at' woman told her to get lost and that her husband

is pilot of the tiger and that she'll deprive him of water. She also mentions her sieve, which is a speculation that witches could seafare in sieves. The second witch then says "I'll give thee a wind" which basically means she'll ssist or help, the first says 'tis a kind gesture then the third offers its help.

Now, I think, thw first witch casts a spell upon the Tiger and the weather, or controls thr weather more like.In hedr riddle she says a number of things. The first, that she will make the wind blow from all directions of the compass, or shipman's card, and thus batter the hell out of the boat. Secondly she says she'll drain him as dry as hay, meaning he'll be thirsty and can't drink.

Thirdly he won't be able to sleep, which ties in with lady Macbeth's unrestlessness and inability to sleep after the murder of Duncan. Fourthly "He shall live a man forbid" all this means is that he's cursed. Last but not least we see some magic numbers, multiples of 3 and 7*7, which are magic, apparanently.Added the fact that the witches appear in three's,sort of speak in threes and one add two and three equals 6 which, when repeated 3 times gives 666, the sign of the devil or beast. The witches mention that the boat can't be lost but the pilot, the husband, will be shaken.

This somewhat heartless attack tells us that the witches have no morals and will make a huge fuss over the smallest thing. After the spell the first witch shows the other part of a orpse, which was used in

spells, which is, in my opinion, brused. Many people do view Lady Macbeth as a woman possessed.There is evidence in the play to suggest this because she calls upon the Spirits to "unsex me here", and give her the power to commit the evil deeds that she has in mind. Many directors of Macbeth, show the witches on stage at this time, suggesting that she may have a direct connection with the witches. In Elizabethan times it was believed that witches, whom people strongly believed in, were marked with a spot that was the mark of the devil.

In Act 5 scenes 1 when Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking, she says, "out damn spot".Today we think that she is talking about the blood form King Duncan, but the Elizabethans could also relate this to her trying to get rid of the spot or mark of the devil. It could also be viewed that Lady Macbeth is not literally calling on the spirits to possess her, but voicing her concerns that this a terrible deed for a woman to commit, and that she needs in some way to repress (get rid of) her guilt. Magic is at the very core of Macbeth. There is no doubt that the witches incite Macbeth into action.

How do they do it and why? Roanoke's witches are plotting for the throne.Their plan is o give it to Duncan's eldest son, Malcolm. Along the way their scheme affects the lives of every man, woman, and child in Scotland, but it works when Malcolm is crowned king. The witches are aided along the way by their familiars.

In medieval times, people thought that

the familiars of witches were devils in disguise. The first witch's familiar is named Graymalkin. Graymalkin comes to her in the form of a cat. The second witch's familiar is Paddock.

Most people believe that Paddock serves his witch in the form of a toad; however, my research has proven that he actually serves her in the form of a hedge-hog.