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Macbeth scene 2
The Role of Witches in Macbeth
Macbeth in scene 2 of Macbeth
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The three Witches are one of the reasons why her husband chooses to kill Macbeth. The Witches in Macbeth’s play have powers like no other. One of the powers they have is
In act 4 scene 1 where the witches reveal the desires of Macbeth he reacts to the apparitions through diction and dialogue. Shakespeare uses diction after each of the three apparitions to show Macbeth’s feelings. After the first apparition Shakespeare uses a relieved, confident, and not fully content diction to ultimately show how Macbeth feels after each apparition. Macbeth feels relieved when he is given a warning from the witches because it confirms his prior thoughts and beliefs about Macduff. Macbeth says to the witch, “Thou hast harped my fear aright.”
The irony in this scene is that the audience knows that the boy heard what his mother was saying to Ross about Macduff however, she tells her son that he is dead when he knows his father is not. For example Lady Macduff says, “All is the fear and nothing is the love,/ As little is the wisdom, where the flight/ So runs against all reason” (4.2.12-14). Lady Macduff tells her son that his father is dead because she believes that he has abandoned his family and left them to pick up the pieces and that is the same to her as him being dead.
After the Witches speak to Macbeth, they summon three apparitions in the forms of an armored head, a bloody child, and a crowned child. These apparitions grant Macbeth another
They controlled him with hope and the foretelling. The first apparition told Macbeth to “Beware of Macduff”. Which is foretelling. This lets the reader know that Macbeth will either kill Macduff, or be destroyed by him.
The brown bread man was informed by the three witches that two foreigners were to come, but that was all he got from them. He wouldn’t have thought that the foreigners would be coming here, as the same day that King Duncan would have visited. The man began to pace back and front and biting his thumbnail, he had not planned this out, he was eventually put into submission by his wife of the plan to kill King Duncan tonight. But he was also troubled, that these two would get in the way, if only of the three witches were to provide him more information about what was to come.
“Double, double toil and trouble” In the beginning of act IV, scene I, the speakers are the three weird sisters, also called witches. Have been sent by Hecate (in act III, scene V), their master and greek goddess of magic, to correct the great unbalance they have created (by convincing Macbeth to kill King Duncan) and take Macbeth off the throne. They use a creepy lyrical tone as they recite a poem and create a potion to summon apparitions. This poem has a lot of imagery and figurative language, very unique combinations of sound and rhythm, and a recurring theme, creating a perfect potion to achieve exactly what they want “Cool it with a baboon’s blood, Then the charm is firm and good.”
In the play Macbeth during act 3 there’s a scene in which an unknown third murderer appears. This is confusing to the audience and therefore has been a long subject of debate due to the fact that in the previous scene, Macbeth seemingly only hires two murderers. There are multiple explanations for this but the most reasonable is the third murderer being an unknown servant. An unknown servant would have the motivation and information needed, along with the ability to be there and make it back to the party at a reasonable time without being noticed as missing.
Surprisingly they agree to Macbeth's terms. The witches give Macbeth apparitions to answer his questions. The first apparition was to beware Macduff. The second apparition was for Macbeth to be bold because no one born from a woman will harm him. The final apparition was to be brave because Macbeth won’t fail unless Birnam Wood marches to fight you at Dunsinane Hill.
When Macbeth is told by the first vision that he needs to beware of Macduff, his fears are confirmed that Macduff is a threat. When Macbeth is told this, he decides to kill Macduff’s family (Mac IV.i.71-74). Just like the witches, the apparition does not force Macbeth to act upon what he has been told, but still steers Macbeth towards violent
All through the play of Macbeth, there are many circumstances that the witches show how they messed up Macbeth's better half. “Surely
Lady Macduff’s emotions change from confused to scared for her own life. In the beginning of the act she asks questions such as, “What had he done to make him fly the land?” (4.2.1). She is confused by the fact that her husband fled as that is a sign of cowardness and betrayal. Although as the scene goes on, we read that Lady Macduff gets a message that basically states that someone is out to kill her.
Macbeth come across the three witches, there they state, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor” (Act 1, Scene 3). In reply to the three witches, Macbeth demanded “stay you imperfect speakers! Tell me more”. With just these few statements announced, Macbeth’s thirst for power and glory arises and is clearly seen.
As such, Macbeth is once again influenced by what the witches call upon. Three apparitions appear before Macbeth. The first apparition is his own severed head, confirming his fears about Macduff. In Act IV, Scene I, the apparitions say these words “Macbeth! Macbeth!
The scene starts off with the witches talking about the mean things they do to people that offend them. When Macbeth enters the scene, the Witches begin to hail saying “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor.