The Innocent Witches
The Innocent Witches MacBeth, the tragic hero, has always won the sympathy of his audiences despite all his evil deeds. The audience most of the time believes that MacBeth had an inner good, and that if it hadn't been for the witches' prediction, MacBeth would not have died. Evidently, MacBeth had used the witches' predictions as a scapegoat. The prophecies have been accused as a major cause for MacBeth's downfall. Yet if we look closely, we find that in every situation MacBeth had a choice, and it was he who made the final decision. The witches' predictions served merely as a psychological justification for MacBeth's scheme. Superficially, it appeared that MacBeth was just following his destiny, and had no choice in the fate that the witches predicted. Thus the audience would think that MacBeth did not have the chance to do good, but this answer is unrealistic. In the play, the witches predicted that MacBeth would be the Thane of Cawdor, that he would be King, and that Banquo's sons would be kings. MacBeth almost immediately took the prophecies as reality and tried to fulfill the tempting
Now he could console himself that his deed was justified by the prophecy. Yet, he was hesitant, not because his conscience tormented him but because he feared the other lords would questioned his action. The witches' predictions were just predictions; they did not cast a spell on MacBeth, they had no power in MacBeth's action, and they did not control his destiny. This exemplified that if MacBeth did not fulfill the predictions, they would not come true. It is apparent that MacBeth's decision was of his own free will, and not due to fate. The apparitions told MacBeth to beware of MacDuff, that he would be king until Birnam Woods would meet Dunsinane Hill, and that he could not be killed by anyone born of woman. There was always a good chance for MacBeth to be a good king. When the first apparition told him to beware of MacDuff, MacBeth said that the prediction had rightly guessed his fear. "What'er thou art, for thy good caution thanks; Thou hast harped my fear aright. He could have avoided Banquo's death and stopped all his evil deeds in the early phase, but he chose not to do so. He caused the audience to think that fate had doomed him, but he knew that it was his own free will that brought his spiral downfall. To fulfill the prophecies, MacBeth resorted to all means; he needed support and confirmation for his scheme, thus he let Lady MacBeth involve him in the assassin of Duncan. He might be suspected by Banquo, but he could wipe away Banquo's suspicion if he ruled the country well and proved to be a virtuous king.
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Acceptance Essays
