Witches Role In The Play Macbeth example essay topic

In toady's society, people do not believe in witchcraft but the witches 'role' in the play Macbeth, had a strong impact in a society that believed in witches. In Shakespeare's time, belief in witches and witchcraft was widely acknowledged and witch-mania was prevalent during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Most people believed that witches had magic powers, for example that they could change day into night, predict the future and fly. Shakespeare opened his play with witches, introducing fate and destiny and creating the atmosphere he wants, that is, there were other forces lurking about in the world. The use of thunder and lightening is a symbol of the turmoil that will take place in the play. Their movement and speeches are choreographed and the sisters act like a team.

They just appear out of thin air in front of Banquo and Macbeth, the grab the audience's attention, the sound track announces their entrance by alarm. A soft drum roll, lightening strikes through eyes they move in circles and float through the air. The voices of the three hags are old, crackling, aged. The wider sister's appearance keeps changing deformed skeletal supernatural "Withered and sound wild in their attire " the variety in their voices is that tone of mocking. Shakespeare introduces fate and destiny, reality a consisted replay of evil throughout the play". Shakesphere created an atmosphere that he wanted for the play".

Shakesphere grabs his audience by the entrance of the weird sister's. The sound of thunder and lightening soon would overtake Macbeth. In mirrors how Macbeth's mind works in ACT 1 SC 1, he decided that he would from then on not think about what he would do but act on his impulse. "The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings of my hand". In act 1 sc 1 with the appearance of the witches and their prediction that Macbeth will be king have a big impact on him "They tempt Macbeth with his own desires", Banquo is also interested in the witches, but questions if they are real, he recognises that the witches are evil, we can see that Macbeth is also aware of this but chooses to ignore it as he is so interested in their predictions that he shall be king, he wants so badly to believe their prophecy. Banquo is also ambitious but he does not want to use foul play to achieve his dreams, "Fair is foul and foul is fair".

He dreams about the witches and tells Macbeth "I dreamed last night of the three weird sisters, To you they have showed some truth", Macbeth denies thinking about them, even though they are always on his mind. The witches play an important part in this play, they bring out the evil in Macbeth so he lives an evil and murderous life to achieve his ambitions, this may have happened anyway as he would probably not have stayed contented with his position as it was. Banquo was also ambitious but would not have used foul play to achieve his ambitions, however he might unconsciously be tempted. The witches create an intriguing atmosphere in the first scene and capture the audience's attention as they represent evil and magic and therefore hold the audience's attention to find out what will happen next..