Temptation is the Road to Destruction
             What is to blame for the tragedy of Macbeth? Is it Macbeth's arrogance, the confusion of his mind by the witches that send Macbeth on a self-destructive path to misery, or both? William Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" connects witchcraft to Scotland. The play is a storm created by the three "weird sisters". Indeed, Macbeth's actions are dominated by the witches' prophecies. They follow Macbeth throughout the play and direct his actions. The motif of prophecy shows that Macbeth is destined to transform from an honorable warrior into a betrayer of his country.
             The prophecy awakes Macbeth's ambition. Before we meet Macbeth, he is portrayed as a heroic and courageous soldier. It is unlikely that he would even think of murdering the king. Macbeth's first line "So foul and fair a day I have not seen" is a vivid example that he has a potential to become the witches' victim. His words reflect witches' phrase "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" and establish a connection between them and Macbeth before they encounter. When the witches predict that he will become the thane of Cawdor and then the king, he favors them. The reader's initial impression of Macbeth is immediately complicated with Macbeth's fixation upon the witches' prophecy. Blinded by desire for power, he confuses the witches' predictions with reality. He thinks that "those that gave the thane of Cawdor" are the witches when it is only the king who has a right to give Macbeth the new title. He obviously allows himself to think about assassination to get the throne, but he is overwhelmed with emotions of staying loyal to the king. At this point of the play Macbeth is not a good person, but he is not an evil one yet. He tries to resist the temptation, but it seems to be stronger than him. In addition, Lady Macbeth dares her ...