In Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, is greatly influenced by several other characters. He is first influenced by the witches when he is with Banquo in the beginning of the play. Next, he is influenced by his wife, Lady Macbeth, who persuades him to kill the King. Finally, by the end of the play Macbeth is influenced by his own mind, when he goes insane. Macbeth is first influenced by someone whom he does not even know, then by someone very close to him, and finally his own mind is lost to insanity.
             In Act One, when Macbeth is returning home, he and Banquo pass three witches who predict the future. They tell Macbeth that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and then the King. At first Macbeth thinks nothing of the meeting with the witches, and is told by Banquo to ignore the prophecies. However, soon after their meeting Macbeth is crowned the Thane of Cawdor. At this moment he begins to believe the prophecies that the witches predicted may hold some truth. This is illustrated in Act One, scene three, lines 128-136:
             As happy prologues to the swelling act
             Of the imperial theme.-I thank you, gentelman.-
             Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
             Why hath it given me earnest of success,
             Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor:
             If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
             Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
             And make my seated heart knock at my ribs."
             It is at this time that Macbeth starts to believe that the witches my possibly have told the truth.
             After Macbeth returns home and tells his wife that he is the Thane of Cawdor she begins to try and persuade him to kill the king so that they might be the King and Queen. At first Macbeth completely ignores his wife's pleas to kill the king. Macbeth's distaste for the murder is shown in Act One, Scene seven, lines 13-16:
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