FREE ESSAY ON MACBETH

MACBETH

In Macbeth, the witches seem to be confusing figures, they are portrayed as dark,
eccentric, and strangely amusing creatures. It doesn't seem that they have that much of
an importance early on, but after finishing the story and truly comprehending, we see
that the witches have done a lot. Through certain examples, and subtle clues displayed in
the story, we can safely deduce that the "weird sisters" were specifically designed to
implant ideas in Macbeth's brain, which later influence him by giving him all types of
information that eventually affect his manner of handling greed, guilt, and other
emotions that put him virtually on the edge of sanity.
We see that the witches display a keen interest in Macbeth, reasons for the interest
aren't exactly given, but illustrations of interest can be shown. As Berryman suggests,
the witches have ulterior motives for Macbeth. We see this through Berryman's example,
which states that at first, Macbeth is hailed as a great hero, but in his coming, he is
hailed by the pricking of a witch's thumb. Which basically means that he is brought on a
sort of omen, not portrayed as something that could be of some good. Berryman brings up
the fact that the witches know that Macbeth shall be bad, it is not stated at this point
of the story why, but it is just instilled that he is (321). This example illustrates the
fact that the witches do not have the role of Macbeth's aids, but rather as Macbeth's bad
influences. Which is also supported by Shwister in his line "Their appetite for mischief
is infinite"(Shwister 60). Which tells us that the natural intent of the witches is to do
evil, of which they can never be satisfied, which is displayed by the word "infinite" in
the quote, and by then being naturally prone to evil, they act upon Macbeth in a negative
type of influence.
Influence is again illustrated when we see that the Macbeth meets the witches for the
first time. The witches wish to receive complete attention from Macbeth, we see that they
use sly ways of going about it. As Shwister states "When the Witches tell him that he
will be Thane of Cawdor, and then King, they feed the secret dream he had shared only
with his Lady"(59). This quote displays the fact that the witches know what is Macbeth's
dark desire. By them knowing this we see the fact that don't just have some insight into
Macbeth's inner knowing, but we also get the fact that they have an interest in Macbeth
that can be shown by them giving Macbeth information that would excite his fancy.
We can look at the above statement that Macbeth, after hearing this, begins to take on a
transformation that Bloom marvelously compares to the story of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde.
"Visitors as we may (or may not) be, we fear that Macbeth, out Mr. Hyde, has the power to
realize our own potential for active evil, poor Jeckyll eventually turns into Mr. Hyde
and cannot get back; Shakespeare's art is to suggest we could have such a fate"(523).
What this quote means is that Macbeth, after hearing what the witches have told him, has
transformed from the innocent and kind Dr. Jeckyll, into the evil Mr. Hyde. Also, the
last part of the quote states that Macbeth more than likely would not be able to turn
back and change his way of thinking. Macbeth has changed, change in a manner that has
left him in the realm between innocence and evil.
De Quincey helps illustrate what Macbeth has turned into because of the ideas implanted
by the witches, in his passage that states "With Macbeth and Lady Macbeth we are made to
feel, by dialogue and soliloquy, that their human nature, the nature of love and mercy,
has vanished, and the fiendish nature has taken it's place"(167). In this quote De
Quincey brings into light the idea that Macbeth has changed, and put aside compassion and
love, and replaced it with evil.
Berryman also agrees on this fact, by his state "This is variously glossed by the
commentators as 
"Superhuman," "subhuman," "devilish"; but the meaning is clear, that there is a
possibility that the human Macbeth-the demonic"(321). In his quote Berryman states that
Macbeth has changed into the most evil; demonic. By using the word demonic, we get the
idea of utter and pure evil, evil without compassion, and evil without contest. Evil that
cannot by denied.
Evil is again illustrated in the scene when Macbeth wishes to talk to Hecate. Said to be
the utter evil of evils, we see that Macbeth has reached a point where he is willing to
give him self up completely to evil, all for the sake of becoming king. He doesn't just
wish to become king, he wants to make sure that he stays king, showing the greedy side of
Macbeth. We see this illustrated when Macbeth decides to kill Banqou. Macbeth decides to
kill Banqou, because the witches, again serving as advice givers, tell Macbeth that
Banqou's children will become king. So, to prevent them from becoming king, and replacing
him, he kills Banqou. As Shwister states, "Macbeth turns around away from Banqou without
a word tragically quick to believe what he wants to believe, whatever feeds ambition"
(155). With this, we see that Macbeth no longer see reality, he just says the world in
the way that he wants. He sees Banqou not as an honest friend, but as a man who will
bring on children that will steal his crown. So through that reason, he wishes to kill
Banqou. Through killing Banqou, Macbeth will receive unwanted visions that leave him on
the verge of insanity.
The most crucial moment that we see in the story, the moment that shows us that Macbeth
has reached the point where he reached to edge of sanity, is the point after Banqou gets
murdered. We see that after Macbeth is told of Banqou's death, Macbeth views Banqou as an
apparition. Appearing as a sign from his subconscious that he has done something real
wrong, and now he has to live with has action, Macbeth is shown Banqou in a matter where
Macbeth would not be able to get rid of him. Macbeth's guilt has finally come out in a
fashion where it can ruin his credibility as king. By displaying this show of insanity in
front of everyone at the dinner table, everyone begins to doubt Macbeth's word. As
Shwister puts it, "Macbeth is a trance of horror, half-formed thoughts of murder rising
from depths of his soul" (150). Macbeth has stepped into a realm outside of sanity. A
realm that leaves him seeing visions in the dark of faces that he has brought on through
his actions.
Seeing visions of murder that put him in states of paranoia and disillusion. As we see
later on, when the forest appears to come to him, Macbeth realizes that he is going to
die, and he chooses to give in because his guilt tells him that that is what he
deserves.
We have seen that Macbeth relies greatly on the witches. Through examples from such as
his motives for killing Banqou to his motives for killing Duncan. We see that the witches
work as much for Macbeth, as Macbeth works for the witches. As Bloom suggests, the
witches need someone to be able to control someone to have as a drone to carry on evil
for them. (532). We have seen many examples brought up. We have seen that Macbeth takes
the witches' suggestion more heavily than he does of his own wife, as Berryman states
when says "This gives that idea, that Macbeth doesn't tell, or asks for advice from Lady
Macbeth on some of the murders"(324). Which means that some of the murders were a result
of the witches telling him about things that could happen and that he didn't always rely
on what she had to say, but more on what the witches had to say.
We have seen that the witches instill thought into Macbeth's mind, which later lead him
to commit evil acts such as killing Duncan and Banqou. We have seen that the images that
were instilled into Macbeth's mind included images that led him to be greedy but wanting
to stay king, and stopping at no costs to do it, such as by giving himself up to the
utmost evil, Hecate. We have seen characters in the story doubt Macbeth's sanity when he
believes that he sees Banqou's ghost. All of these instances prove the fact that the
witches implanted the ideas of evil in Macbeth's head. From knowing this we can safely
deduce, that the point for having the witches in the story was to have them influence
Macbeth.