Hannah
2/9/2015 05:43:23 pm
One evident significance of the Witches in Macbeth can be a symbol of evil catalyst, where no evil is definitely planted but instead, nurtured enough to push for it's development. This can be evidently presented through the Witches planned meeting with Macbeth. 'First Witch: Where the place?
Reply
Nasra
2/9/2015 08:36:04 pm
The witches are essential for the plot of Macbeth as they prophesied his eventual rise to the throne. Macbeth already had the desire and ambition, but their prophecy showed him the immense possibilities available to him. This eventually leads to his downfall as his ambition takes full control over his actions. Moreover, the witches speak in rhyming couplets which Shakespeare rarely uses in his plays, except with supernatural characters such as these. This distinguishes them from the rest of the characters in the play and portrays their full control. Whilst the other character simply respond to the actions of others (and therefore speak in normal prose) the witches are “weird” sisters and so can be seen as having control of fate in the same way that they are in full control of their speech. Weird is also associated with the supernatural and unearthly which becomes obvious in act 1, scene 3 as they “look not like th’inhabitants o’th’earth”.
Reply
Sana
2/10/2015 06:23:50 pm
To further develop Nasra’s point ,Shakespeare giving them the beards, and blurring masculinity and femininity does so, so they fall between neither man or women, and thus otherworldly. They go beyond reason as shown by their very existence as Banquo says ‘That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth. And yet are on’t? ’This portrays the supernatural as beyond mere human comprehension.The initial meeting with the witches marks the horror which will preside over the entire play. The most interesting aspect is the control the witches have over Macbeth .They have no real power but contribute entirely to the play events. The witch’s foretell the event they see which seems to be the extent of their capabilities or at least physical. But in essence the witches build upon Macbeth’s ambition. They draw him out in the open, where the evil lurking inside man cannot hide.it is the combination of Macbeths ambition in contact with the witches that is a catalyst for the plays events. There entrance is marked by thunder and lightning which are negative outputs of this world. Macbeth’s evil ambition and malicious desires are also negative aspect of humanity, which humans subdue to maintain greater control over our instincts. In this story the negative aspects of the human nature paired with the supernatural has created a greater evil: evil that goes beyond the realm of humanity.
Reply
Jaspreet
2/10/2015 07:44:49 pm
The Witches’ purpose within the play at first seems unclear but their connection to Macbeth is signaled right from the start. The initial setting of the play and the words of the sinister witches cast the mood for the entire play, with their rhyming incantations and their grotesque figures of speech establishing a lingering aura, linking them to unease and lurking chaos in the natural world by insisting on ‘Thunder’ and ‘Thunder and lightening’ which remains the setting for the reoccurrence of the witches throughout the play. By linking chaotic weather to the witches they are represented as a force to be reckoning with becoming the manifestation of the evils that corrupt society and its stability, in that they are something that doesn’t comply with social acceptance. They are of significance to the play because they are the catalyst to Macbeth’s path of destruction to become king. At first glance, it may seem as if the evils that Macbeth engages in are a result of the witches’ control over him, but what this interpretation fails to take into account the idea that Macbeth echoes the words of the witches before having met them, “so fair is foul, and foul is fair”. This suggests that Macbeth already had the sinister plan to become king already manifested within him and that the witches are seen to be the catalyst for the substance of his desires. In effect, the Witches represent the darker side of human nature. While they do not create the downfall of human, they do lead humans now the path to their destruction through manipulation. They represent the very presence of evil in society that places an impact on an individual’s decision to join the good or bad, by advocating misleading illusions which present false hope as seen with Macbeth. As a result they become the representation of the evil that is in Macbeth which does not manifest itself until the prophecy is made, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”. By placing the thought of Macbeth becoming king in his mind, they effectively guide him on the path of his own destruction, in that they symbolise the darkness and depravity of the human soul, the part of the soul that bends itself towards evil and darkness. Thus they become the figment of Macbeth’s imagination, the outward manifestation of Macbeth’s wickedness and the horrible act he commits.
Reply
Jaspreet
2/11/2015 03:58:11 am
However, the interpretation of the witches being a figment of Macbeth is weak in that Banquo also witnesses them. Despite so, it is possible to argue that they reflect Macbeth's unstable mind.
Reply
Jaspreet
2/11/2015 03:59:12 am
*Macbeth's imagination
Iman Hussein
2/10/2015 10:52:25 pm
The witches are significant as they trigger pre-existing thoughts of Macbeth,and as already stated by others,they essentially act as a catalyst within the play,and once they told him the prophecy it was confirmed in his mind.The witches play a vital role in the play as they are the very first characters which we are introduced to by Shakespeare,to foreshadow the evil that is to come and this is reinforced with the weather “thunder and lightening” leaving the audience very curious as to what is going to happen.The weird sisters are described as neither male nor female,almost as if they are inhumane “you should be women;and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so” showing that they are unknown to mankind.This links into the fear that the audience of the Jacobean era would have towards witches,and if one was accused of being a witch,they were completely shunned from the rest of the world. The witches give Macbeth a sense of security rather than tricking him into the murders,as he decided on how exactly he would take the throne.Through the characters of the witches,we learn the true nature of Macbeth and what his ambition can lead him to do.
Reply
Sadiya
2/11/2015 08:09:10 am
The witches in Macbeth represent Macbeth’s hidden desires and the evil that exists within Macbeth and humanity as a whole. It could be said that the witches are a spiritual form of Macbeth’s desire because the witches only predicts and gives away riddles but it is Macbeth that decided to take the inhumane action of killing Duncan in order to accomplish his sinister goal. Also, in Act 1 scene 1 when the witches approach Macbeth informing him about their prophecy, Banquo asks Macbeth ‘why do you start and seem to fear…things that do sound so fair?’ which shows that for Macbeth the prophecy was not a disclosure of the future but invasion of his secretive and concealed thoughts because his reaction appeared as if he has been exposed by the witches. Moreover, witches are associated with supernatural which is one of the elements of Gothic, and the fact that Shakespeare used supernatural characters (the witches) to show a transition in the personality of the main character, it could be said that Shakespeare attempted to depict how supernatural beliefs ruled the minds of the audiences of the 17th century and to some extent corrupted humanity.
Reply
Maninderjit
2/11/2015 04:38:16 pm
The witches also add a sense of ambiguity; whether the existence of the supernatural is in fact true, as well as creating an uncertainty in Macbeth's character and his unstable state of mind of which deteriorates throughout the play. This allows the audience to ponder on Macbeth's intentions, whether he is fully conscious of his thoughts/actions, or whether he is actually being possessed by the witches and supernatural forces in some way. Also, this uncertainty in the plays considered to be, tragic hero, fluctuates with the audience's trust in Macbeth and essentially illustrates various sides of his character; His honourable and brave nature as a soldier, against the progressing thirst of his desires and the malicious methods he inflicts to obtain them, these being qualities of which humanity can acquire in itself.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2015
Categories |