Shakespeares presentation of the witches in Macbeth Essay Example
Shakespeares presentation of the witches in Macbeth Essay Example

Shakespeares presentation of the witches in Macbeth Essay Example

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  • Pages: 9 (2424 words)
  • Published: October 22, 2017
  • Type: Analysis
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Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon, he married Anne Hathaway and had children, went to London and found work acting and writing plays and at the end of his life he returned to Stratford. His mother was Mary Arden, born of Robert Arden; a wealthy yeoman farmer.

Shakespeare wrote the play, "Macbeth" based loosely on eleventh-century Scotland. He wrote this play to please and entertain the King and he made it relevant to their lives by bringing 'realism' with the characters of the witches. He selected, altered and added to the story to achieve the greatest dramatic outcome.He invented Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking and suicide, Banquo's ghost (and therefore the banquet scene), and most of the cauldron scenes.

He also changed the perception of Duncan from an ineffectual king into an old and revered ruler, and omitted Macbet

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hs ten years of good rule. The play was first performed in the sixteenth century, during this time, witches were terrifying characters. People believed witches could speak with the devil, kill or maim people, fly, become invisible and could control the weather.Thousands of women were tortured and executed because they were accused of witchcraft.

This is why it is so significant that the production of Macbeth opens with thunder and lightening, and the entering of three witches; the audience at the time would have been petrified of them. The witches are portrayed in the play as gruesome, unpleasant and evil characters. Factors contributing to this are the deeply descriptive imagery they use; "liver of blaspheming Jew", "fillet of a fenny snake", while casting spells, which is so vivid that we can imagine before us this cauldron of animal

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remnants.Not only is the language used by the witches ugly, but also they are also ugly, being described as "filthy", "withered", "wild and bearded", which is never a good look.

.. Although the director's interpretation of the appearance of the witches alters from play to play, mostly they are associated with ugliness. The witches also show complete disregard for any social difference between woman and man; which would have been apparent at the time Shakespeare wrote the play.

Although socially we have overcome the difference between sexes and now witches are not generally feared, the grotesque language and ugliness of the witches allows them to remain feared and prominent characters today, even more so for those who still believe in the existence of witches. The play goes forth: Macbeth and Banquo, victorious Lords serving Duncan, King of Scotland, meet three witches who prophesy that Macbeth "shalt be King hereafter". Lady Macbeth helps persuade her husband to murder Duncan while he is a guest at their castle. Malcolm, son and heir to Duncan, flees to England.

Macbeth, now King, has Banquo murdered, whose ghost subsequently appears to him at a banquet. When the witches warn Macbeth to "beware Macduff", a nobleman who has gone to England, he has Macduff's wife and children murdered. Macduff and Malcolm raise an army against Macbeth. Lady Macbeth dies, possibly through suicide. Macbeth is killed by Macduff and Malcolm is crowned King of Scotland.

The witches introduce the story which quickly establishes the mood and themes; such as good verses evil, of the play. It creates tension and drama at an early stage of the production, scaring the audience and capturing their attention.The fact

the witches' mention Macbeths name, "There to meet Macbeth", links him with evil immediately, even before we have come across the character. The stage directions in Act One Scene One show an "open space"; which allows the audience's imagination to run wild, while it remains a timeless and universal setting, and thunder and lightening. The thunder and lightening is representative of pathetic fallacy, because we associate thunder and lightening with evil, and it also introduces the thought that the witches can control the weather, as was thought about real witches during the period the play was produced.

This thought of the witches controlling the weather is compounded in Act One Scene Three, when the witches devise wind so that they may get revenge upon a sailor's wife. This scene also emphasises the vindictive and unpleasant nature of the witches, using phrases like, "killing swine," "I'll drain him dry as hay," and "here I have a pilot's thumb. " During the casting of the spell there is a "drum within", which creates a feeling of tension and anticipation. This scene in set in "a heath", which is once again vague, similar to the "open space", also similar, is the present "thunder".At the end of this scene the "witches vanish" which draws our attention to their supernatural powers and adds suspense.

The key characteristic of Macbeth's witches is that while they can influence Macbeth's actions, they cannot compel him to commit the evil deeds that he undertakes in the course of the Scottish tragedy. This limitation on the power of the weird sisters, their dependency upon human will to work their black arts, is highlighted by the difference

between Banquo's reaction to their initial predictions and that of Macbeth.After their encounter with the witches in Act One Scene Three, Banquo wonders aloud about whether they were real or whether he and Macbeth are suffering from some type of hallucination: "Were such things here as we do speak about? /Or have we eaten on the insane root/That takes the reason prisoner? ". It is not Macbeth, but Banquo, who first notices the witches on the heath, asking Macbeth: "What are these/So withered and so wild in their attire/That look not like th' inhabitants of the earth/And yet are on't".Banquo then asks the witches directly whether they "live or are "aught" and Macbeth demands further, "Speak, if you can, what are you? ".

They do not respond to these questions, but simply hail Macbeth, first as Thane of Glamis, then as Thane of Cawdor, and finally as "King hereafter. " When Banquo asks that witches if they can foretell future, they hail him as a future sire of Scottish monarchs, and when Macbeth then asks the witches to explain their salutations and the means by which foresee future, they vanish into thin air.Banquo ultimately concludes that the witches are not a hallucination, nor are they of substance, explaining to Macbeth that, "the earth hath bubbles, as the water has/And these are of them". The next scene in which the witches appear is Act Three Scene Five, which is set in "a desolate place", which echoes the vagueness of previous scenes but also conjures up images of an inhospitable environment, which is rather befitting of the witches. Pathetic fallacy continues to create tension with the use

of thunder.

The scene consists mainly of a speech by Hectate; the queen of the witches, a character who we are not really introduced to, so she is mysterious. Hectate refers to the witches as "Beldams" which draws attention to their ugliness, as noted by Banquo who describes them as withered women with beards, and Macbeth who refers to them as "secret, black, and midnight hags," "filthy hags" and "juggling fiends. " Hectate talks further of "affairs of death" and tells of the witches being "spiteful and wrathful"; she also refers to "the pit of Acheron", Acheron being a river in hell, so this links the witches to evil.This leaves us feeling fearful of Hectate, and the power she has, being queen of the witches. She tells the witches to 'draw him on to his confusion'; confusion to make Macbeth over-confident, because 'security is mortals' chiefest enemy.

" This brings us to wonder upon, how responsible Macbeth is for his own fate, or whether he was merely part of the witches, or Hectate's, evil plan. Language plays a large part in our interpretation of the characters, with prose relating greatly to evil.This is illustrated by Macbeth, who speaks in prose while conversing with the three murderers; this is degrading and links him with evil and murder. The murderers speak in prose throughout. Lady Macbeth also begins to speak in verse and prose towards the end of the play, which links her to evil and witches.

The witches speak in rhyming couplets throughout and with a rhythm of incantation; this sets them apart from any other character in the play.The witches also appear very fond of paradoxes,

"fair is foul, and foul is fair. These double meanings can be ambiguous and misleading, and ultimately lead to misinterpretation on Macbeth's part giving him a false sense of security with their apparitions of truths. Instead, they prove to be harmful for Macbeth who takes too much comfort and confidence in his interpretation of the truths. After the first of the witches' prophecies comes true, Macbeth begins to believe in their truth. However, he also believes that the prophecies must all lead to his enrichment and empowerment.

To that end, he twists the witches' words to fit his own purposes, ignoring the possibility that the prophecies might have other, less fortunate meanings. This tricked Macbeth by using ambiguous and contradicting language, which leaves us to question whether he was responsible for his own misinterpretation. Our next encounter of the witches is in Act Four Scene One, apparitions are involved. They account for Macbeths conclusive actions at the end of the play.

The scene takes place in "the pit of Acheron", which is in hell, reminding us that the witches must be agents of the devil, and also just how deeply Macbeth has spiralled into evil. Again we see pathetic fallacy in the form of thunder, which creates tension. In this scene the witches make a broth, of which the ingredients sound distinctly unpleasant, including "eye of newt", "wool of bat", "lizard's leg" and "baboon's blood". These disgusting ingredients are a reflection of the witches unpleasant and destructiveness.

Our attention is drawn to them through the use of alliteration. Although Macbeth does not seem uncomfortable or intimidated by the witches they show themselves to have the upper hand by

mocking him, "sisters, cheer we up his sprites". Music and dancing are apparent in this scene which suggests a sinister ritual or spell and adds to the tense atmosphere. In 'Macbeth', the witches demonstrate dark thoughts and unconscious temptations to evil. They skilfully manipulate the character of Macbeth, whose ambition allows him to become more involved in the thought of becoming powerful.

He first begins to think of his being King, after the three witches begin to tell him of his fate. When they try to leave, he immediately remarks for them to "stay" and to "tell (him) more". By Macbeth wanting to know of his future plans, he is ambitiously corrupting himself. Macbeth longs to become King so much that he will do anything to meet his goal. Macbeth has "no spur to prick" the outcome of his intent, "but only Vaulting ambition".

Also, for him to even consider the actions he performs, goes completely against church doctrine.Duncan's role in society would have been perceived as God's messenger on earth, and for Macbeth to contemplate any harm towards the king, would have been as an act against God himself. We see that this is in contrast to Banquo's reaction to the witches' prophesies, who vows to keep his "allegiance clear". The witches also ultimately affect Lady Macbeth, via Macbeth's letter. She is so determined to fulfil the prophesy of Macbeth becoming king, that she invokes evil spirits to strip her of her femininity, "unsex me here", and to help her influence the killing of Duncan.

She appears to have no moral or political considerations other than her own desire for glory. Although not a "secret, black,

and midnight hag", as an evil female, Lady Macbeth could also be considered a witch herself according to the standards of Shakespeare's day. In the same way that witches subvert the natural order of religion and society, Lady Macbeth subverts the order of the sexes and the family by trying to have more power than the head of the family, her husband. Not only does she act out of order, but several of her actions imply that she is actually witch-like.However, in the end, it is the witches, or perhaps the evil that they created, that have broken Lady Macbeth, as she sleepwalks while speaking consoling words to her husband. This is ironic because it is in fact Lady Macbeth that needs consoling.

Throughout the play we see Macbeth's character dramatically degenerate; at the beginning Macbeth is victorious; he has just returned from the battle ground as a courageous and heroic warrior. Macbeth's reputation is rapidly growing with the rampant spread of the word of his great deeds in war.This climaxes when his actions are acknowledged and rewarded by the title given to him by King Duncan. "No more that thane of Cawdor doth deceive / our bosom interest. Go, pronounce his present / death, / and with his former title greet Macbeth.

" At this time, Macbeth is entirely content with his position and his circumstances. He has not stopped to contemplate how much he can achieve and explore his limitations. Instead he fights for what he believes in, his morals; to defend his country from foe. He is fighting for his King, not questioning his authority or plotting against him.It is only upon

meeting the witches that he opens his mind to the possibilities laid before him. It is this ambition, ignited by the witches, that turns Macbeth into a treacherous murderer, whose ambition lead to his downfall.

The audience is left to question whether this downfall was ultimately because of the "weird sisters", or whether they merely prophesied the inevitable. All in all, I believe Shakespeare's presentation of the witches to be outstanding, and it is because of these, complex and intriguing characters, that the play remains a very much appreciated piece of literature.The witches bring a new dimension to the story, one of evil and the supernatural, and also the question of who was responsible for Duncan's untimely death. I imagine that in Shakespearean times the audience would accept without a second thought, that it was the witches who infected Macbeth's mind, and possessed him to do such an awful thing. But in more modern times, while some people still believe in witches, we are left to question the evil in ambition, and the trust we put in others.

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