Foil Characters During King James I’s reign in 1606, William Shakespeare wrote one of his darkest tragedies, Macbeth. The story begins with witches mentioning a character named Macbeth, who fought in war along with Banquo. As they run into each other in Act I, Scene III, the witches make prophesies to them that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland whereas Banquo will be the father of the future Kings of Scotland. These prophesies serve as a major impact on Macbeth’s behavior which will foil that of Banquo’s because of his corrupt response to making them come true.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a testimony to the difference between greed and ambition, good and evil, and right and wrong. The story shows that when one becomes obsessed with power, they will often resort to methods of manipulation and retaliation to achieve their desired outcome. In the case of Macbeth, he is approached by the Three Witches who inform him that he will one day become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland. Additionally, they inform Macbeth’s comrade Banquo that his sons will one day be kings.
At the beginning of the play, he is hailed as the brave warrior who fought with his friend Banquo and, due to his act of bravery, was given the title “thane of Cawdor!” (1.2.65-67). However, it does not take him long to show his most noticeable character trait, ambition, which leads him to murder King Duncan. His insatiable desire for power and a fierce determination to be king drives Macbeth to continue to deceptively plot against his friend and commit terrible acts of violence and betrayal. It causes him to spiral out of control quickly, and he goes from a reluctant murderer to a sinister and brutal killer.
Macbeth had become everything that he had ever wanted to be which was the king of Scotland and when the witches told him that someone else was going to take his crown he went to extremes to try to keep them from doing that which was eventually what lead to him dying. The witches had told Macbeth that the sons of Banquo would take his crown so he decided to have Banquo and his son killed Macbeth said, “Our fears in Banquo stick deep/ And in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared”(3.1.49-51). Macbeth did everything he could to protect his crown, but that is eventually what lead to his downfall and his death. He killed his best friend Banquo which was when his ambition had gone to far and was the beginning of his decline.
The play is about treachery and manipulation. First, the witches manipulate Macbeth which sets off the chain reaction, then Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth into committing regicide and afterwards Macbeth manipulates the murderers into killing Banquo and his son Fleance. Shakespeare reveals that the witches are being controlled by higher supernatural powers, "call 'em. Let me see 'em," shocking the Jacobean audience and as a result creating doubt and fear of the unknown. Shakespeare appeals to
“We have scorch’d the snake, not kill’d it.” (3.2.15).Macbeth realized that he has ultimate control in the lives of others. Macbeth develops a god complex, the Tree Weird sisters show Macbeth that he will be great. Macbeth learn very quickly that he can get his people to kill anyone who was in his way. Banquo was one of the many kills that were accomplished, this is when Macbeth realized the sisters were right about his prophecies.
What does control mean? Control is the power to influence or direct people’s behavior or course of events. In Macbeth, a play by William Shakespeare, Macbeth the Scottish general is told by three witches his prophecy of becoming king of Scotland on day. The ambition and pressure created by his wife leads him to taking action for himself: killing Duncan and taking the throne. Throughout the rest of the play, Macbeth goes insane and is filled with guilt and paranoia.
Macbeth is worried about Banquo’s son and wisdom. He then sends two assassins to kill Banquo and his son This is important because Macbeth realizes that being king is meaningless if he is not safe, and is willing to commit another murder in order to make him live a worriless life as king. In this passage, Macbeth says that he is trapped, and cannot move forwards or backwards. Macbeth is in a situation where he is forced to “stand his ground” because he made the decision to murder Duncan. This is significant as it shows that Macbeth’s decision to kill more people in his way (fulfilling the witches prediction) as he has already killed people in order to become king.
After the victory of Banquo and Macbeth against the king 's traitor Macdonwald the witches presence contract the vibe of manipulation seeking Macbeth as its next victim. As they encounter with Macbeth and Banquo, they start-off questioning the trio of leery ladies. "look not like the inhabitants of the earth, / And yet are on it"; they seem to understand him, and yet he cannot be sure; they "should be women," and yet they are bearded. One by one the witches told Macbeth his upcoming abundance of power leaving him immensely petrified. As a result the prophecies were the contemporary force plaguing Macbeth into slaughtering King Duncan for his aspiration.
At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.
The Witches use words to spark the deep desire within Macbeth to become king. They prophesize that he will one day become king, but, they also prophesize that although Banquo may not be king himself he will produce a long line of heirs to the throne. Macbeth sees this as a threat and he ultimately ends up murdering Banquo and his family. The Witches words spark the conflict within the play. Words are also used to inspire people to bring an end to Macbeth’s tyrannical reign.
At this moment, he feels as if he has to take action to guarantee his position as the potential king. This very moment is the turning point of the story; it is where the greed and excessive ambition start to kick in. From the moment that Macbeth is told he will be the king of Scotland, he becomes impatient and greedy. Not only him but his wife as well, learn almost immediately how poisonous greed can be. The two made terrible decisions simply because they wanted power.
Macbeth is speechless for the witches prophecies came true. This makes Macbeth think about him becoming king and all of a sudden develops the urge to kill the current king,
They told Macbeth that he was going to be king, and told Banquo that his children were going to be king. With the knowledge that there is a possibility to become king, along with the selfish human nature, noble Macbeth was easily swayed by this prophecy. At first, Macbeth’s conscience took care of his ambitions, he was afraid he would betray the king, because he knew that he was “his kinsman and his subject” (1.7.13). However as the three witches continue to encourage Macbeth with carefully chosen words, he eventually pushes his conscience away and committed crimes that were dishonourable. Macbeth, easily controlled by his ambitions, loses his noble and heroic title in fear of losing his power.
The Witches play a crucial role in the development of the narrative; their actions contribute greatly to the downwards spiral of Macbeth’s life and sanity, and the murder of King Duncan. Their introduction to the play establishes a supernatural element that is consistent throughout the play, allowing for further exploration of ideas such as the destruction of oneself as a result of being overambitious. Shakespeare creates a stormy, bleak, and ominous atmosphere when the Witches are first introduced, successfully associating them with a negative atmosphere. It is through their prophecies that Macbeth’s lust for the throne is encouraged, consequently leading him to his own demise and destruction of Scotland. The
