Witches in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay - 730 Words

The title figure in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a classic example of a tragic hero. There are many factors that contribute to the main character, Macbeth, to degenerate; three of them will be discussed. These three are the prophecy, which was told him by the witches, Lady Macbeth’s influence and control over Macbeth’s judgment, and finally Macbeth’s ambitions that drove his desire to be king. Macbeth degenerates from a noble man to violent individual and this leads to his death. The prophecies that were told by the witches were one of the factors that contributed to the degeneration of his character. Typically, a tragic hero is a figure of high stature, often of noble background. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo are†¦show more content†¦ii. 12). This shows that Lady Macbeth has a heart deep inside her. Lady Macbeth plays an important role in Macbeth’s degeneration because she knows that she has a strong and dominant power over her husband using her power, she encourages Macbeth to do what he has to do to get rid of King Duncan. He thinks that Duncan is a great King and considers him to be a good friend. Macbeth is lost in his thoughts, his â€Å"good† side and â€Å"bad† side are in a fight â€Å"But Macbeth is not a merely a cold- blooded†¦ he nearly persuades himself to reject the plan,† (Principal Topics, 238). Finally, Macbeth gives in to Lady Macbeth and decided to kill Duncan while he is visitin g Macbeth’s castle the same night. After Macbeth had killed Duncan, he regrets what he had done â€Å"†¦I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on’t again I dare not.†(Shakespeare, II. ii. 51). Following the format of a tragic hero, Macbeth suffers from a tragic flaw. At this point of the play, the audience can note the change in Macbeth’s character. Macbeth’s blind ambition also influenced his declining character. His ambitions alone had not been strong enough to carry King Duncan’s death. However, his ambitions along with the provoking of his wife lead him to take a violent and bloody path to the throne. Macbeth’s ambitions influenced the cause of his new character. This new character contained violence and power hunger. Macbeth was crowned King of Scotland, which led to extremeShow MoreRelatedWitches in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay1766 Words   |  8 PagesWitches in Macbeth by William Shakespeare People that lived during the Elizabethan period were very superstitious. They feared the power of witches the most. The hate stemmed mostly from the . . . supposed satanic beliefs of the witches and their heretical partnership with the Devil (Papp and Kirkland 43). Others thought of witches only when something of value had been damaged. 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