Macbeth Research Paper

969 Words4 Pages

An important factor that drives the story of Shakespeare's play Macbeth is the effect of Witchcraft on Macbeth. The first encounter with the witch’s acts as a trigger that ignites Macbeth’s immense need for power. He does terrible things because he wants to fulfill the prophecies given to him. The witch's power grows stronger as the player progresses, drawing Macbeth deeper into a corrupt and evil worldview. The otherworldly forces at work are closely connected to his plunge into darkness. Ultimately, this manipulation causes Macbeth's gruesome death and highlights the significant impact of witchcraft on both his personality and the plot of the play. Seeing Macbeth change in the play shows his deteriorating mental health and the dark path he …show more content…

In addition to providing assurance, the prophecy motivates and inspires Macbeth to pursue his goals with persistent commitment. He becomes obsessed with attaining power, feeling like nobody can stop him. For none of the women born shall harm Macbeth." Shakespeare, Act 4, Scene 1). The witch's prophecy feeds Macbeth's pride and uncontrolled ambition. Believing that no man born a woman can hurt him, Macbeth becomes more determined to gain power and become untouchable. He behaves more recklessly and impulsively with increased certainty of his alleged invincibility. Macbeth grows in the moral consequences of his actions and loses them because he believes he is not limited by death. Macbeth's path to power is more direct as he squeezes his hold on power. Every crime he commits only furthers his moral decline. He does not feel the growing anger and mistrust around him because of his arrogance and ego. The more power he gains, the more desperately he must hold on to what drives him to commit crimes without …show more content…

Before he murders King Duncan, Macbeth was already exhibiting signs of mental distress. He hallucinates a dagger leading him to Duncan's chamber, questioning his senses. Is this dagger I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still." Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 1). This vision indicates Macbeth's troubled mind and foreshadows his descent into madness once he becomes king; as his paranoia intensifies, he fears losing his power and becomes suspicious of everyone around him and his decisions to murder Banquo and his son Fleance, driven by The witch's prophecy highlights his escalating anxiety. Macbeth's hallucination of Banquo's ghost at the banquet reveals his crumbling sanity. He reacts off-putting and speaks to the ghost, alarming his guests and exposing his unstable mind. Macbeth's mental health decline is gradual and complex, marked by hallucinations, paranoia, and guilt. He begins as a noble warrior but becomes a paranoid king, showing how unchecked ambition can destroy a person. Shakespeare uses Macbeth's fall to highlight how power can corrupt the mind and how guilt and fear can profoundly affect one's