Essay On Shakespeare's Prediction In Macbeth

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English – Macbeth Essay Brayden Schroeder “All Hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (Act 1, Scene 3, Page 3, Line 51) Who knew this one measly prediction would cause so much turmoil? The three witches are undoubtedly the most influential figures in what is possibly Shakespeare’s greatest playwright. The death of King Duncan came as a direct result of the witches’ prediction that Macbeth would one day be king whilst Macbeth’s superstition killed both Macduff’s family and Banquo. A result of his manipulable mind and arrogance, the witches also made him believe himself to be invincible, a mistake that would ultimately cost him his life. Although others played a role in turning Macbeth into the tyrant he became, it can be argued that this never would’ve panned out the way it did if the witches had never appeared. As stated before, the three witches appeared before Macbeth and made the prediction that Macbeth would one day be king. An ever ambitious soldier, this is all it took to get Macbeth pondering the idea of regicide and take King Duncan’s place on the throne of Scotland. If regicide is what the witches meant, that’s debatable, but it did plant the…show more content…
Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the Thane of Fife.” In quite literally the next scene, Macbeth sends hired murderers to slaughter Macduff. Although unsuccessful (only Lady Macduff and her son were killed), it proved that Macbeth was willing to go as far as it took to keep himself on the throne. The witches however, did plant the seeds again that led to this murder and therefore should be considered at least semi-accountable. This theory is supported even more by the murder of Banquo. The witches prophesised that Banquo’s sons would succeed Macbeth’s rule. Macbeth, now seeing Banquo as a threat, hired more people to murder Banquo and eliminate all possibility that he or his sons could dethrone

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