Macbeth's Influences

             1 Witch. When shall we three meet again?
             2 Witch. When the hurlyburly's done,
             When the battle's lost and won.
             3 Witch. That will be ere the set of sun.
             3 Witch. There to meet with Macbeth.
             All. Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
             Hover through the fog and filthy air.
             Thunder rumbles through the sky and lightning flashes while the three witches vanish as suddenly as they appeared. Soon, they will come upon Macbeth and state:
             1 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
             2 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
             3 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! that shalt bes King hereafter.
             (ACT 1, Scene 3, Lines 48 - 50)
             These three prophecies prove significant for the title character, Macbeth, of William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth. Yet, the Weird Sisters are not the only influences in Macbeth's life. His wife, Lady Macbeth, and his king, King Duncan of Scotland, also impact him. However, of these three Lady Macbeth exercises the most power over Macbeth and his decisions and actions.
             King Duncan of Scotland is waging war against the king of Norway at the beginning of the play. From a captain, faint with battle wounds, Duncan hears about the valour of Macbeth, who had slain Macdonwald, a traitor. Upon listening to the narrative, he exclaims, "O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!" (ACT 1, Scene 2, Line 24), in reference to Macbeth. When the Thane of Rosse enters to inform Duncan of a Scottish victory, the king orders him to present Macbeth with the new title, Thane of Cawdor, fulfilling the second prediction.
             As Macbeth, Thane of Glamis by inheritance, and his friend, Banquo, ride from the battlefield to the king's palace, they come upon the Weird Sisters. Having spoken their prophecies, they vanish, leaving Macbeth and Banquo to contemplate their words. Continuing on their journey, the Thane of Rosse joins them and reports that Macbeth ha...

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Macbeth's Influences. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 01:50, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/39324.html