In William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth, the witches play an important role in leading Macbeth to disastrous action which could not have occurred due to his hamartia (ambition) alone. The witches play on Macbeths hamartia (ambition) by giving him small amounts of information in their predictions. The witches only tell Macbeth what he will one day become, they do not tell him when or how this will be achieved. This is because the witches know that that is all they need to give Macbeth for him to ask them to “tell (him) more” and for him to wonder “but how?” Macbeth “(seems) to fear things that do sound so fair” as he realises that the witches can see inside his heart and mind and know how ambitious he is. Macbeth possesses “black and deep desires” which have been sparked by the weird sisters. In addition to the witches playing on Macbeths ambition, the witches indirectly also play on Lady Macbeths ambition. The letter Macbeth sends to Lady Macbeth explains the predictions of the witches. Once Lady Macbeth read it, she felt “the future in an instant”. If it were …show more content…
Macbeth was not fond of the idea of murdering Duncan, he felt as if he should “not bear the knife (himself)”, he wishes to “proceed no further in this business” of killing Duncan. Macbeth is persuaded by Lady Macbeth who is “top-full of direst cruelty”. Lady Macbeths actions after being assured by the witches of success, leads her and Macbeth to disastrous action to ensure her ambition and Macbeths ambition is fulfilled. Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth into killing Duncan by questioning his love for her and bashing his courage and manhood. Lady Macbeth makes it seem as if he “would be so much more than a man” if he “durst do it”. Lady Macbeth does this due to the letter about the witches’ predictions that “transported (her) beyond this ignorant present” and led her and Macbeth to disastrous