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Witches in Macbeth - Online Essays

Witches in Macbeth

The witches in the play Macbeth have an important part in the story line of the play, and therefore are important to it as a whole. The Three Witches represent darkness, chaos, and conflict, while their role is as agents and witnesses. Shakespeare's witches are prophetesses who hail then-General Macbeth early in the play with predictions of his rise as king. Also they are argued to be the reason to why Macbeth is driven to kill King Duncan. Their powerful roles are very important as they appear in the very first scene and the very last scene.
Shakespeare uses the witches in Macbeth for two main reasons. Firstly, to show how desire, ambition and greed are often more powerful than reason, ...

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could change weather conditions and even change their physical form: In this scene we learn of their supernatural powers, they can fly, "Hover through the fog and filthy air". They can predict the future, they arrange a meeting place, and they know that Macbeth will be there.
Shakespeare gives his "weird sisters" the customary features of witches of his day. They have animals- a cat, a toad who is really familiars evil spirits who have taken this bodily form. They arrange to meet in a thunderstorm, as if they can affect the weather, as they were supposed to be able to do. Macbeth has bad dreams, and these were notoriously caused by witches. Indeed the word "nightmare", often also called in Shakespeare's time "night hag" or "the riding of the witch," refers to a witch riding wildly through the night on horseback, visiting bad dreams on her ...

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 3/26/2011 09:36:17 AM
Submitted By: flzk
Category: Shakespeare
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 350
Pages: 2

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