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To What Extent Are The Witches Responsible For The Downfall Of Macbeth

1063 Words5 Pages

In the chaos of a storm, amidst the cracking lightning and deafening thunder, three witches chanted in unison: “All hail, Macbeth! Thane of the Glamis! Thane of the Cawdor! ...future king!” (Shakespeare I.iii.48-50). These were the first and most impactful words that the three weird sisters ever spoke to Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play, and the ones that sent him into the endless spiral of betrayal, murder, and madness. The debate over whether the witches are responsible for his actions has been discussed by many, but the overall truth to this argument is that the witches did not do so. The reasons for this are that the witches' prophecies would have still come true regardless of any intervention, and Macbeth’s exercise of free will ultimately determined his actions. The claim that the witches implemented the ideas for him to gain power can also be refuted by saying Lady Macbeth had …show more content…

Ultimately, it is the combination of the inevitability of the prophecies, Macbeth’s free will, and Lady Macbeth's manipulation that make the witches inculpable for Macbeth’s actions. To begin with, the witches' prophecies while being very vague, only predicted the future events that would unfold with or without Macbeth's intervention. Despite the ambiguity of their words, Macbeth was clear on how regardless of what he did, the future would reflect what the witches' statements were, therefore there was no reason for him to do things such as murder Duncan. The quote “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me. Without my stir.” shows how Macbeth was aware that fate would make him king without him having to do anything (Shakespeare I.iii.145-146). These lines effectively personify fate, as he says

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