Macbeth Witches Essays (1393 words) - Characters In Macbeth

Macbeth Witches In Macbeth, the witches seem to be confusing figures, they are portrayed as dark, eccentric, and strangely amusing creatures. It doesn't seem that they have that much of an importance early on, but after finishing the story and truly comprehending, we see that the witches have done a lot. Through certain examples, and subtle clues displayed in the story, we can safely deduce that the"weird sisters" were specifically designed to implant ideas in Macbeth's brain, which later influence him by giving him all types of information that eventually affect his manner of handling greed, guilt, and other emotions that put him virtually on the edge of sanity. We see that the witches display a keen interest in Macbeth, reasons for the interest aren't exactly given, but illustrations of interest can be shown. As Berryman suggests, the witches have ulterior motives for Macbeth. We see this through Berryman's example, which states that at first, Macbeth is hailed as a great hero, but in his coming, he is hailed by the pricking of a witch's thumb. Which basically means that he is brought on a sort of omen, not portrayed as something that could be of some good. Berryman brings up the fact that the witches know that Macbeth shall be bad, it is not stated at this point of the story why, but it is just instilled that he is (321). This example illustrates the fact that the witches do not have the role of Macbeth's aids, but rather as Macbeth's bad influences. Which is also supported by Shwister in his line "Their appetite for mischief is infinite"(Shwister 60). Which tells us that the natural intent of the witches is to do evil, of which they can never be satisfied, which is displayed by the word "infinite" in the quote, and by then being naturally prone to evil, they act upon Macbeth in a negative type of influence. Influence is again illustrated when we see that the Macbeth meets the witches for the first time. The witches wish to receive complete attention from Macbeth, we see that they use sly ways of going about it. As Shwister states "When the Witches tell him that he will be Thane of Cawdor, and then King, they feed the secret dream he had shared only with his Lady"(59). This quote displays the fact that the witches know what is Macbeth's dark desire. By them knowing this we see the fact that don't just have some insight into Macbeth's inner knowing, but we also get the fact that they have an interest in Macbeth that can be shown by them giving Macbeth information that would excite his fancy. We can look at the above statement that Macbeth, after hearing this, begins to take on a transformation that Bloom marvelously compares to the story of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. "Visitors as we may (or may not) be, we fear that Macbeth, out Mr. Hyde, has the power to realize our own potential for active evil, poor Jeckyll eventually turns into Mr. Hyde and cannot get back; Shakespeare's art is to suggest we could have such a fate"(523). What this quote means is that Macbeth, after hearing what the witches have told him, has transformed from the innocent and kind Dr. Jeckyll, into the evil Mr. Hyde. Also, the last part of the quote states that Macbeth more than likely would not be able to turn back and change his way of thinking. Macbeth has changed, change in a manner that has left him in the realm between innocence and evil. De Quincey helps illustrate what Macbeth has turned into because of the ideas implanted by the witches, in his passage that states "With Macbeth and Lady Macbeth we are made to feel, by dialogue and soliloquy, that their human nature, the nature of love and mercy, has vanished, and the fiendish nature has taken it's place"(167). In this quote De Quincey brings into light the idea that Macbeth has changed, and put aside compassion and love, and replaced it with evil. Berryman also agrees on this fact, by his state "This is variously glossed by the commentators as "Superhuman," "subhuman," "devilish"; but the meaning is clear, that there is a possibility that the human Macbeth-the demonic"(321). In his quote Berryman states that Macbeth has changed into the most evil; demonic. By using the word demonic, we get the idea of utter and pure evil, evil without compassion, and evil without contest. Evil that cannot by denied. Evil is again illustrated