The Tragedy Macbeth from William Shakespeare, written in 1606 deals with the struggle.
within Macbeth between his ambition and his sense of right and wrong.
The play begins with the brief appearance of supernatural forces in form of the three.
witches, without whom the piece would not be to be thought. Finally, they are it which.
bring Macbeth on the idea to strive after higher than this what is intended for him thanks.
his salaries by his sovereign. Their scenes always take place in somber places: either in the.
moorland or on the heath with thunder and lightning. This already let us suspects that the.
witches have an important role in this play to lead the action to the worst. .
Their conversation is full of foreshadows; yet they seem to be unable to affect the course.
of the future. They predict Macbeth, that he is going to obtain the title of Thane of.
Cawdor and after that the throne of the King of Scotland (Macbeth Act I sc iii 49). What.
appears good and should fulfill Macbeth with joyful hope, becomes in the course of this.
play the reason for Macbeths' ruin. After this prediction Macbeth immediately realizes that.
the fulfillment of the prophecy may require conspiracy a murder on his part (sc iii 152). .
This scene establishes the play's dramatic premise, the witches' awakening of Macbeth's.
ambition (sc iii 132). They also predict that Banqou is going to be "lesser than Macbeth,.
and greater" (sc iii 65). He "shall get kings, though he be none" (sc iii 67). Such speech.
adds to the play sense of moral; confusion by implying that nothing is quite what it seems.
In Banquo's case the witches seem to be able to affect the future as well as predict it,.
because unlike Macbeth, Banquo does not act on the witches' prediction that he will father.
kings. .
So it's hard to determine whether the witches are agents of fate or a motivating force,.
whether they affect the future or predict it. Their conversation is also filled with.