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Power Of Prophecy In Macbeth

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The power of suggestion and the power of prophecy have a significant role in influencing the decisions one makes. This can be seen in the play, Macbeth, and in today’s contemporary society. Within the play, the evil third witch states the prophecy, “All hail, Macbeth, the future king!” to Macbeth, himself (I.iii.51). This absurd statement made by the malicious witches seems ridiculous to believe. Nevertheless, Macbeth is later seen to be highly gullible and an easy a target of persuasion when he decides to trust the witches. He asserts himself in act I, scene vii that “ if the assassination [of the King] could trammel up the consequence, and catch with his surcease success; that but this blow might be the be-all and the end-all here” (2-5). Macbeth, in this quote, is seriously contemplating whether he should kill the current king, King Duncan. He is under the influence that he must kill King Duncan in order to become king, because he believes in the prophecy and is trying to make it true. If he had not heard of this prophecy before, he most likely would not have even think to kill a man who is so highly honored …show more content…

For example, if children are told that they can become a social media or youtube star from youth and make a lot of money from it, then they will most likely do everything in their power to produce videos and content that live up to that standard and gain more followers. This suggestion would affect the children’s actions. Another example of the power of suggestion in today’s society would be a fortune teller who prophesizes that a person will find love soon. The person who is receiving this information might instead search for love instead of ignoring the revelation and going on with everyday life. In all, the power suggestion and prophecy can make a person more inclined to do something that he or she has not thought of doing before and can be seen in fiction or even in today’s

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In play Macbeth, Shakespeare reveals that an individual’s great desire for power will lead him/her to perform consequential deeds that will scar his/her conscience and change the outcome of his/her life eternally. Macbeth is informed by three witches that he is going to become king and this initiates Macbeth’s thought of becoming powerful. Macbeth doesn’t act on his thoughts until he tells his wife, Lady Macbeth, that he could become king. Lady Macbeth is extremely power hungry and does all she can to convince Macbeth to be just as desirable as her. Together, they come up with a plan to murder King Duncan, so that Macbeth can become king like the witches foretold.

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This situation is similar to the scene in Macbeth; however, Macbeth receives a pleasuring prophecy, whereas I was warned of danger. In Act 1 Scene 3, Macbeth and his shoulder-companion, Banquo receive three predictions from three evil witches. The enchantresses first prophesize that Macbeth will be named “Thane of Glamis”(1.3.48), which is peculiar because he is already the Thane of Glamis. The witches are aware of this, but they open with it anyway to make Macbeth believe in their ability to accurately predict the future. They then tell him that he will be “Thane of Cawdor” and that he “shalt be king hereafter”(1.3.50).

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2188 Words | 9 Pages

He now perceives that in order to become king he has to step over some people, kill them. For all intents and purposes, how can he become king if Duncan is already running the position? Executing Duncan was the only option in order for him to become king, at least to his regards. Despite his bad ambition, Macbeth is not happy about committing murder, not to the slightest. It's like if he'd close his eyes and reopened them (hoping to see things differently)

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1590 Words | 7 Pages

He feels that because the witches said it that it must be true no matter what the consequences in the future are. This is a leading factor that causes Macbeth to decide to murder King Duncan. Macbeth consciously makes the decision to commit treason and knows that it will have consequences. He even ponders the fact that although he will have a prosperous life on

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763 Words | 4 Pages

That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies, stars hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires, the eye wink at the hand; yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” Macbeth took what the witches predicted seriously and literally. He was already convinced it was meant to be him; he knew exactly how it was going to be true. On that note, events after that were ultimately in Macbeth's intentions. For a person who talks to himself to be crazy, he would kill for the throne.

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2529 Words | 11 Pages

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.

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Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use. ”(2.1.42-43) The bad thing about killing king Duncan was the prediction said he will be king in the future but he couldn’t wait so he killed the king. In the critic the author also mention of Macbeth was imagine killing king

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Macbeth shows that he is willing to kill King Duncan because he is interested in the witches prophecy, after they tell him that he will become ‘Thane of Cawdor’ and then the King.

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Macbeth is also a power hungry man who would do just about anything to achieve his goal of becoming King. When Macbeth first hears the prophecies from the three witches he instantly became invested with the journey to become king. Similar to Lady Macbeth, nothing was going to come between him and his potential power, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man. That function is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not” (1.3.52-55). This quote exemplifies how Macbeth’s initial solution to becoming king was murder.

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953 Words | 4 Pages

At the start of the play, Macbeth visits the witches with Banquo at the closing of the battle. The witches speak to Macbeth and Banquo and get the idea of a prophecy in Macbeth’s mind. “All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis./ All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor./ All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.46-48). When the witches get the prophecy in Macbeth’s mind, he believes it will come true and misunderstands the prophecy of the witches. Although the witches make Macbeth believe in the prophecy of becoming the King, Macbeth is responsible for his downfall because they do not recommend Macbeth to kill Duncan.

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1619 Words | 7 Pages

As proved by Macbeth’s success to become the Thane of Cawdor, the prophecies are Macbeth’s fate; they will be the outcomes of his life, but how they will come to be is dependent on Macbeth’s own choices. When Macbeth shares the prophesies with his wife, Lady Macbeth, she helps him murder King Duncan in order to gain the throne. The witches had predicted that Macbeth would be king but they hadn’t said when or how. It is Macbeth’s own choice to murder Duncan because of his deep desire to become king. Macbeth wants to protect his power and eliminate all enemies that may come in the way.

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999 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth had another chance to change his outcome. his wife was consumed with the idea that he would become king, so much so that she pushed him to kill the current King. She said she couldn 't do it because King Duncan looked too much like her own father. Macbeth could have easily dismissed this and not listened to his mentally dwindling wife, “Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry ‘hold, hold!’” He followed the instructions of his wife and killed the king.

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780 Words | 4 Pages

Lady Macbeth is power hungry for the throne and she will do anything to achieve her goal. Her pleasure of having the thought of killing Duncan is revealed. These murderous thoughts that run through her mind shows how desperate she is to acquire power. Although it is the beginning of the play, her dark ambitions sets a dark tone for her character in the play. This coincidentally adds to the assurance of Macbeth’s prophecy which is that Macbeth will become king, but King Duncan is still alive.

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1021 Words | 5 Pages

The audience can now see his desires as well as his ambition. At this point, Macbeth is still hesitant of revealing his true nature, but the audience gets a peek of what he yearns for. In addition, the witches’ predictions are known to be paradoxical, their predictions are never straightforward; they tend to have different interpretations. Macbeth kills King Duncan to obtain the power he was told he’d get. Despite that, the witches never said to kill King Duncan; they told him he would become king.

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1241 Words | 5 Pages

Macbeth’s ambition is one of the most prominent things that drive Macbeth in the play and truly becomes evident when he hears of the Witches prophecies. When the witches stop talking, he demands to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more” (I, III, 73-74). This portrays his excessive curiosity on the subject as well as his craving for more desirable prophecies. This ambitious nature and craving for power is also demonstrated only moments after hearing the witches, when he starts formulating a plan to kill Duncan in order to make the third prophecy come true.

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