Superstition by Colton M.

Throughout the drama Macbeth, Shakespeare uses superstition to foreshadow Macbeth’s fate as the King Scotland. The three witches tell Macbeth that he is going to take the throne of Scotland, watch his back for Macduff, that no man born to a woman can kill Macbeth, Macduff’s children will take back the throne and that the Birnam Woods will destroy him. Superstition plays a key part in Macbeth that in the end he puts all his faith in it. And will lead to his downfall.

The Witches are some of the most important characters that Macbeth is involved with that use superstition. They say, “All hail, Macbeth, who will be king later on!” (1.3.33). Superstition comes in the play at this part because Macbeth chooses to believe that their prophecies will come true. The Witches predict the whole plot of the drama and without them there would be no Macbeth.

Superstition effects Macbeth’s behavior in many ways. If the Witches didn’t predict anything then I think that a lot of this stuff would have never happened. If they didn’t say that Macbeth will be king then he would have never had the idea to even become king in the first place. Since they told Macbeth that he will become king it made him want to strive to become king. Then once Macbeth became king he put all his faith in the prophecies. So in the end it ended up as Macbeth controlling his own future and not the Witches. The fact that he had all his superstition in the Witches led to his own downfall. “Macbeth will never be defeated until great Birnam wood marches to fight against him,” (4.1.171).

The first prophecy that the witches predict is that Macbeth will become king. This is the one prophecy that contributes to Macbeth’s downfall the most. When Macbeth herd this he got that in his head and all he wanted was to become king. This played with Macbeths head and he let the power get to him.

The next prophecy that leads to Macbeth’s downfall was to beware of Macduff. The first apparition said, “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware of Macduff, Beware of the Thane of Fife. Let me go. I’ve said enough.” (4.1.169) When Macbeth herd this he thought that he needed to get rid of Macduff but he had already fled. But Macbeth felt the need to do something about this so he used his power to wipe out Macduff’s whole family. This showed that Macbeth took the witches too seriously and he was corrupted by the witches.

Shakespeare used superstition in many ways throughout Macbeth. He showed how Macbeth put all his belief into the witches’ prophecies which lead to his own downfall. If Macbeth didn’t always listen to the witches and did stuff on his own then he may have never been murdered. The witches tell Macbeth that he will gain the throne of Scotland, that no man can defeat him and that he will be taken over by Macduff. Having too much superstition in something can lead you to your downfall.

Power Corrupts by Kayla J.

In the book Macbeth, the character Macbeth is corrupted by power. He starts out as a good guy and a war hero, but throughout the story he becomes corrupted and kills constantly because the witches said he would rule. His first victim is the king, then his best friend, then women and children. Macbeth is never satisfied and is only able to be slain by Macduff.

In the beginning of Macbeth, Macbeth is a solider and he fights his hardest for the king. While on his way to see the king, some witches tell him that he will soon be king. “Hail Macbeth who will be king later on” (1.3.52)! This is what starts his psycho killing spree. First he kills the king, but he blames somebody else, so he would be able to be king himself. After the king died, he did become king, but was constantly worried about his life. He had to keep going to the witches to see what his future would be. “I command you by the black arts that you follow; however you came to learn them, to answer me. Even if you unleash the winds and let them storm against the churches; even if foamy waves destroy and sink ships; even if ripe wheat is flattened and trees blown down; even if castles fall on the head of those who live in them; even if the tops of palaces and pyramids are leveled to their bases; even if the precious seeds of all uncreated things tumble together until destruction itself grows sick of its work, answer the questions I ask you”(4.1.51-62).

Macbeth became so worried about his best friend, Banquo, that he got some murderers to kill Banquo and his son. “You both know that Banquo is your enemy” (3.1.124-125).This also affected his mind, because Banquo was his best friend. After that he went to the witches again to find out more about his future. They told him not to worry about anyone but Macduff, and that he would fail when the woods moved towards his castle.

Macduff knew about what Macbeth had done, and he had a plan to kill him. Macduff went to get help from Malcolm and they used branches from the forest to make weapons. “Let every soldier cut down a bough and carry it in front of him. That way, we will hide the size of our army, and Macbeth’s lookouts will give incorrect reports of us” (5.4.6-9). They came to the castle and Macduff and Macbeth began fighting. Macbeth was confident because the witches said he wouldn’t be defeated by any man born by a woman, but Macduff was taking from his mother’s womb. “Lose hope for your charmed life, and let the demon you’ve been serving tell you that Macduff was prematurely ripped from his mother’s womb” (5.8.17-20). In the end, Macduff wins and Macbeth dies.

Macbeth relies so much on what the witches say that he is blind to what is really going on. The power that he had received had corrupted Macbeth. He killed and continue to kill until he was finally killed him self. This shows that power does corrupt people and even a good man with too much power can become an evil man.

Macbeth's Power Role by Muhammad C.

In the play Macbeth, the protagonist is a noble man. Macbeth plays a very important role in this drama which is written by Shakespeare. Macbeth is a very vicious playa who is power hungry. The theme related to Macbeth would be his Blind ambition that leads to his downfall. Later on in the play Macbeth holds the thrown and after having total control of supremacy over the whole country he gets power corrupted.

Macbeth was a war hero and he was also a true noble man. He was exceedingly appreciated by the king for his actions upon saving the kingdom. When Macbeth and his best friend Banquo were walking throughout the forest they heard strange noises. At last the witches came out of the woods to present special news for their personal upcoming life. The witches plant their message by saying “all hail, Macbeth, who will be king later on”. They tell banquo not to worry and his son will be king later after Macbeth’s kingdom. All of a sudden the witches vanished and they were both left unaccompanied to ponder. When they went to the castle, the king gave Macbeth and Banquo a special title for their hard work and bravery of being war heroes. By the king granting them power Macbeth over abuses it to achieve even a higher status. This is where his blind ambitions kick in.

Now Macbeth has power, but he is sill hungry for more so he plans upon killing the king. With his wife being his advice-giver he kills the king but he is shameful for the horrible act that he has committed. Macbeth’s wife is disgusted of how coward her husband is and she finishes the job by framing the guards. Now Macbeth holds the thrown. He can do as he wishes and he does. Not only does he have power but his wife is in control of him and all of his decisions, she controls his mind the way she wants the joy of power. Macbeth realizes that the witches’ prophecy has detained the certainty of him becoming the king. But now Macbeth is worried about Banquo and his family because when Macbeth and Banquo were in the woods the withes also mentioned about buanqos family which terrified Macbeth. On an over view of the play, what ever Macbeth does after holding power it all leads to his downfall.

After having the Kingdome under his feet Macbeth gets corrupted by power. Macbeth and his wife remember what the witches said. So they feel the threat of Banquos son becoming the king. With that having in mind lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to hire people to get rid of Banquo and his son. Macbeth sends murders to get rid of banquo and his son even though Banquo is his best friend. When the heart only sees darkness of power it can not avail the light of true friendship. Banquo dies and his son escapes which drives Macbeth worried. Macbeth asks the withes about the future. The witches told him that no man born to a woman can kill you. But if the forest moves you will lose. After hearing the news he was chill. Macbeth found out that Macduff was after him and he knows the truth of his legacy. Macduff was loyal to the king and was miserable after the king died. Macbeth kills Macduffs family and warns him to get off me. Macbeth does what ever he is capable of doing to have continuous power over his Kingdome. But he ends up loosing to the rage of Macduff and dies severely. The Kingdome is safe again.

Macbeth Essay Comment Instructions

I would like your Macbeth essay comments to answer the following four questions. Write three to four sentences for each question.

I - What is this essay's thesis? Is it clear and concise? Is it focused? Does it engage you? Why or why not?

II - Of all the examples and quotations contained in this essay, which is the strongest? Why? What made it stand out above the others?

III - What is one thing this essay does well? It could be its organization, word choice, writing style, choice of quotations, introduction, conclusion, etc. In addition to mentioning what the author does well, copy and paste an example of what you thought was particularly effective. Be sure to put the example in quotations.

IV - What is one piece of advice that the author might consider the next time he or she is asked to write a similar type of analytical essay?

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I would like you to respond to a minimum of six essays. You will have the entire class period on Monday to comment. You may do additional comments for homework if you'd like. Please bring a printed copy of your comments to class on Wednesday, April 9th, as I will check them then. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

Six comments = a "check"

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Superstition Affects Human Behavior by Sarah M.

When really strange things happen that cannot be explained, people will believe anything to find an answer. For Macbeth in the Shakespeare play Macbeth, he begins to believe everything that the witches say because of their first prediction. It makes him insane and relies on the witches to know how to act. All through out the play Macbeth listens to the witches and his behavior is affected by superstition.

One example of a time that the witches affected his behavior is during his first encounter with the witches. Macbeth was on his way to see the king when he thought he was being talked to by evil spirits. He was terrified but he still listened to the first prediction. “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you Thane of glamis!” (1.3.50.) he then heard the next two predictions, but the one said by the third witch sounded the best to him. “All hail, Macbeth, who will be king later on!” (1.3.52) once Macbeth hears this prophecy he wonders if it will come true. He wonders how it would even be possible for him to one day be kind of Scotland.

As the thought of becoming king became more and more of a dream for Macbeth, he was convinced by lady Macbeth that killing the king was the best way to get him on top. Macbeth killed the king and waited for nature to take its course. He soon after became king but with the joy and power of becoming king also came the guilt that became heavier and heavier on Macbeth’s shoulders. He began to realize that what he did was a big mistake and he never should have listened to his wife. When he questioned if he would fail his attempt to kill the king he should have backed down but Lady Macbeth said some convincing words. “Just fasten your courage to the notch, and we will not fail. When Duncan is asleep- and after his day’s hard journey, he’ll soon sleep soundly-...” (1.7.67-70). He began to panic and he didn’t know what his next move should be. Everything that the witches predicted had come true so what was to happen to Macbeth next? The peer pressure of his wife made him break down and kill the king. It affected his behavior because he believed in his wife and he realized later he had clearly made the wrong choice.

Looking for any kind of answer Macbeth got on his horse and then ran all around the woods screaming out for the witches to help him. He believed so much in what they said nobody else mattered. The spirits finally spoke and told him his next moves. He begins to get the feeling that he really does hold all the power but is still not completely sure of himself. The second apparition made Macbeth’s confidence rise but he didn’t completely think it through. The apparition said “Be ruthless, bold and decisive. Laugh scornfully at the power of men- for no man born to a woman can harm Macbeth.” (4.1.86-88). Macbeth didn’t think about the possibility of another for of birth that is an unnatural way.

The woods began to move like was predicted by the third apparition, but it moved with people. Macduff was the one who took Macbeth’s life and he would no longer live in fear. He lived to believe in the witches’ predictions and without them he would be nothing. He started to go mad the moment the first set of predictions came true and he let it run his life. He read the predictions wrong and in return, died.

Power Corrupts Macbeth by Ricky F.

Power is something most people strive to get when they don’t have it. Power is what runs the world now and has for a long time. The problem with power is that it corrupts. Through out time it’s posed a problem. Shakespeare’s drama Macbeth is a great example of how power will corrupt even at the thought of it. Macbeth is a war hero and is loyal to the king but he gets a prophecy from three witches that he will be king. And it changes the way he thinks.

One example of how power corrupted Macbeth in the story is in the beginning of the story. Three witches say to Macbeth, “all hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!”(1.3.53). the Three witches tell Macbeth that he will become king. Macbeth doesn’t really believe them at first until the first part of the prophecy comes true. Then he begins to think about the idea of becoming king. The power him and his wife could posses and he begins to think about the idea. He and his wife plot for him to kill the king and make it look like the guards did it. Just in this section power has caused Macbeth to go from a loyal servant to murderer intent on committing regicide.

Another example in the story of how power corrupts is a little further into the story Macbeth has become king. He begins to fear that his friend Banquo is plotting against him. We see this when Macbeth is talking to himself and says, “Our fears in Banquo stick deep,” (3.1.53-54). He thinks this because Banquo was with him when he got his prophecy. And Banquo had also received a prophecy that his sons would be kings. He’s the only one that can bring Macbeth down with what he knows. So fearing for his power being taken from and Banqou taking control he uses his power to have Banquo and his son murdered. Here Macbeth has just killed his own friend because he was paranoid of the loss of his power.

Macbeth later in the story is having trouble dealing with Macduff, the thane of fife, who is still loyal to Malcolm the true heir to the throne. He finds out that Macduff has gone to England. Macbeth takes advantage of him being gone and sends murderers to kill his wife and his son. This shows how much Macbeth has changed with the new power he has acquired. You can here it best in the way he speak in this act he says, “From now on, every deed that my mind imagines will be carried out by my hand at once.” (4.1.161-163). He has become ruthless in an attempt to hold onto his power for as long as he can and his gone mad with it.

The play Macbeth is a great example of how power corrupts. Macbeth is the one mostly corrupted by the power. But in the end he was killed and the throne turned over to the rightful heir Malcolm. The play relates well to the world around us as well. You can think back to World War II and Hitler in Germany. He had good ideas but the lust for power took over and he ended up causing his own downfall.

Power Corrupts Macbeth by Nick D.

Throughout history power has been corrupted people many times. For example, Hitler, Napoleon, and even George Bush have all been corrupted by power. Any person who gains power usually uses it to their advantage. Shakespeare realized that humans are naturally corrupted by power. Many of the kings and queens of his day were corrupt. By writing Macbeth, Shakespeare was trying to prove a point about how misusing power leads to corruption.

When Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor he realizes all the power he could have. For example, Macbeth says, “My murderous thought is still only imaginary but it shakes my entire manhood so deeply that my power to act is smothered by expectation, and nothing seems real to be except what I imagine.”(Act 1 scene 3 lines 149-151). Although at first Macbeth wants to kill King Duncan but he is scared to. He does it anyway. He kills King Duncan so he can get his place of power.

Not only does Macbeth become corrupt, but Lady Macbeth does also. She is the one who encourages Macbeth to kill King Duncan. The reason she does this is because she wants more power and wants to become queen. Lady Macbeth encourages him by saying things like “…look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it“(act 1 scene 5 lines 72-73). By saying this, she is encouraging him to kill people in order to become king. Macbeth has some fears about killing the king but Lady Macbeth questions his manliness by telling him that if he was a real man, he would kill him.

In the play, Macbeth says to himself, “The prince of Cumberland! That is a step I must either fall down from or else leap over, for it lies in my way.”(Act 1 scene 4 Lines 55-57) Macbeth realizes he must get more power. He’s not satisfied with just being the Thane. He kills King Duncan which scares off Malcolm, his son and Macbeth becomes king. This quote relates to the real world because when people are in positions of power they always want more and are not satisfied until they get it.

Macbeth even kills off his best friend Banquo. Macbeth seems to respect and like Banquo. He has no reason to kill Banquo except to gain more power. The witches predict that Banquo’s sons will become kings so Macbeth attempts to kill Banquo and Fleance.The assaanation of Banquo is successful but Fleance escapes. In addition, the witches also say to Banquo, “You will be a father to kings, even though you won’t be a king yourself”. (Act 1 scene 3 68-69) This is saying the witches are predicting that Banquo’s sons will be kings. Although Macbeth doesn’t think about killing Banquo right away it is in the back of his mind. Once he has the power of being king he wants more power, so he can’t fight the desire to murder Banquo.

It is clear in the story of Macbeth that the misuse of power can lead people to corruption. When people are in positions of power they tend to abuse it and hurt others to get what they want. This is shown in Macbeth and throughout history. Shakespeare realizes this human flaw in the play and addresses the issue.

Power Corrupts Macbeth by Mitch S.

Power corrupts Macbeth in unforgiving ways. Macbeth is the main character in the play Macbeth. He was a Scottish general ambitious enough to commit regicide to become king, he was a top general who people respected and trusted. While walking through the cobweb forest one afternoon with Banquo, Macbeth heard some strange sounds coming from the trees, he then says “show yourself you evil spirits” then suddenly a very pale woman appeared spinning some string inside a small tent, Macbeth and Banquo were startled by this an began asking the woman questions. She then responded and told Macbeth about his future, she told him that he would one day become king, but he will have to kill King Duncan in order to achieve that goal and to also fear Macduff. This made Macbeth start to think of greed. She then disappeared back into the forest and everything she had with her disappeared as well.

Macbeth emerges from the cobweb forest with Banquo and soon begins to question if what he just encountered was real and that he wasn’t imagining it. Later that night Macbeth decides that he will go back to the cobweb forest and try to contact the “evil spirit”. While riding his horse through the forest he heard a familiar sound and then he encountered the ghostly figure once again. He then began to ask a series of questions about his future and the woman then responded, she told him that he would become king as long as he killed King Duncan. She then told Macbeth that Banquo’s son would be the only one stopping him. He would be the next king if King Duncan had passed away. She then disappeared back into the forest and Macbeth decided that he would kill the king. Killing the king is a risky idea, the power that he could receive corrupted Macbeth by greed. He was only thinking of himself and didn’t realize that he could in fact ruin the kingdom and the lives of thousands. The next day Macbeth set out and thought up a plan to eliminate the king. If the king was to die Macbeth would have a shot at taking command. The next day Macbeth and his wife went over to the kings’ castle and Lady Macbeth poisoned all the guards and Macbeth murdered King Duncan in his sleep. Once the news spread throughout the land, Macbeth was then offered the roll of king and accepted it.

As king of all the land, Macbeth decided to go off into the cobweb forest and try to contact the “evil spirits” once again. After waiting a few minutes he found the strange woman and praised her because her prediction had come true. He then began to ask her about his future and demanded to know. She then told him that no man born to a woman could kill him. But beware of Banquo and his family. Then she disappeared and Macbeth was startled. He then began fearing that he may have competition and quickly decided to kill Banquo and his family. All of this new power was going straight to Macbeths head, he felt invincible because the predictions the lady in the woods was making were all coming true. Now that he’s the king, no one will question him, he can do anything he wants right now, this power is corrupting Macbeths over all well being and is about to ruin his family. The next day Macbeth sent out some of his warriors to kill Banquo and his son. Later that night they returned and brought the news that Banquo’s son had escaped, but that Banquo was dead. Over the next few days the nearby castles decided to join forces to try and take over the thrown of Macbeth. While all of this is happening Lady Macbeth had a miscarriage and this was devastating to Macbeth for if he was to die no one in his family would take the thrown.

As the surrounding castles of the land started to team up, Macbeth decided to visit the forest for one more time, begging the “evil spirits” to show themselves for one more time. He then asked if his castle would loose the battle, they assured him that he would be victorious, as long as he created a river of blood and killed everyone in the battle, as gruesome as possible. This made him feel unstoppable. Macbeth then returned to the castle and told his story about how he has been talking to these “evil spirits” and every prediction they have made had come true. He persuaded the army to fight strong and that they will come out victorious. As the fast approaching armies surrounded the castle they got ready to fight. Macduff’s army was ready to fight; then Macbeth received the news that his wife had been murdered. This crushed Macbeth; he was wildly enraged and became crazy. A few hours later Macbeth received the news that Lady Macbeth had in fact committed suicide. She had to have sensed that the end was near. As the nearby armies came closer, the gates opened up and the armies charged each other. Macbeth and Macduff were leading the way and then clashed sparking a huge blood bath. As they road towards each other, swords drawn, Macduff beheaded Macbeth thus ending the “evil spirits” prediction and ending Macbeth’s life. The reign of Macbeth was lost and the castle was taken over. Power corrupted Macbeth’s mind and family but ultimately ruined his life.

Things are not always what they seem by Maria R.

In the play Macbeth things aren’t always what they seem. It is very blunt and apparent throughout this play giving plethora of examples in every act and scene. These examples really make you take a second look at situations and realize that some things just aren’t what they appear to be.

The witches gave a prediction to Macbeth that he would become king. After he told Lady Macbeth she decided that killing the current king would be the best thing. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth go through with the murder, and they get away with this in the night while everyone is sleeping and by getting the guards drunk and putting sleeping medicine in their drinks. When the Macbeth’s are done with killing the king they decide to wipe the blood off their hands on the guard’s faces and their bodies, then they frame the guards by placing the bloody daggers that they used to kill the king on their sleeping bodies. This is a prime example early in the drama Macbeth, of things that are not what they seem.

Another example of the theme, things aren’t always what they seem, is when Malcolm goes to England to meet up with Macduff who escaped from Scotland after the murder of his father. Malcolm pretends to like Macbeth and says how he is a good ruler and how he is a great guy. Macduff tells Malcolm that he doesn’t need to pretend to like Macbeth anymore because he doesn’t like Macbeth and wants to take him down. Malcolm then agrees with Macduff saying how he believes that he would be a great ruler instead of Macbeth and that he would be a great successor to the thrown. This shows that things aren’t always what they seem in this theory because Malcolm goes a good time in the book pretending that he likes Macbeth and that he is his friend when really, in the end he decides to help plot against his downfall with Macduff.

Another trick that is played in Macbeth is when the witches tell Macbeth that no man born from a woman can kill him. I believe that this is the witches trying to pull sheep’s wool over his eyes. Macbeth then thinks that no one can kill him and that he will be king forever despite the other predictions that the witches made that Banquo’s son would become ruler. Macbeth then ordered to guards to go and kill Banquo and his son Fleance, but Fleance got away before he could be killed, his fathers fate wasn’t so fortunate. In the end Macbeth was killed by Macduff in a battle because Macduff was taking from the womb of his mother in a sea section instead of child birth, therefore not being born from a woman.

There are a lot of examples throughout this book that proves my theory correct. I believe that this shows that you shouldn’t get angry or upset with people unless you know what are going on behind the scenes and that there are always two sides to a story. In the dramatic play Macbeth things are crazy but the one thing that you can take away from it is that you can’t trust anyone and that things are not always what they seem.

Superstition Affects Human Behavior by Mad Max W.

Throughout the course of Macbeth, there always seemed to be a heavy emphasis on him believing the witches and his prophecies. In fact, he believed them so much that he would make sure that they’d come true at any costs. He even joined forces with his evil wife, who seemed even more corrupted than himself. That just goes to show you how something like that can make anyone go completely insane. The main prophecies that were spoken to Macbeth were: He will become king of Scotland, to always watch his back for Macduff, and he will fall from power when the Birnam woods approach his castle.

When Macbeth first found out that he would become king of Scotland, he never thought too much of it. But when he told his wife about this weird caucus with the witches, she took complete advantage of this and began to plot their strike upon King Duncan. Once their deed was done, Macbeth became the king. However it came with a price; once the actual prophecy came true Macbeth seemed as if he slipped into some sort of dark, uncanny state. This feeling of his seemed to never leave his side throughout the entirety of the play.

When Macbeth heard that he would loose his kingship when Birnam Woods move, he laughed because he would only die when the woods (something he thought was impossible) moved and began to approach the castle where he resides. After hearing this from the ghostly apparition he thought he was in the clear and would be king for a long, long time. So he never really prepared himself for any attacks, once he realized what was happening, it was too late. The apposing forces joined together and took branches and shrubberies etc., and put them all around their bodies, which made it look as if the woods were moving.

One of the later prophecies that the witches told Macbeth was that he should watch his back for Macduff. Once this was heard, Macbeth stayed far away from Macduff because he feared for his life. It turns out that the witches were correct again because at the end of the book Macbeth is killed by Macduff at the very end of the play. This didn’t necessarily make Macbeth seem nervous or really “change” him over the course of the book, but arguably it did make him a little cautious when the Birnam woods began to move. Macbeth was a man trapped ever since he met the witches deep within the wood. To elaborate, he couldn’t escape his ultimate doom. But since it was brought up by the three witches it made him tweak out until the day he was killed.

I bet if he didn’t know about his future or have his fortune told he would have ended up just fine. Seeing as how that this story was not the case, Macbeth went crazy since he knew about the future and what would ultimately happen. In all honesty, the only one to blame besides Macbeth was his atrocious wife Lady Macbeth. She made it so much worse than what it actually could have been.

Macbeth Essay by Jon M.

Macbeth’s ambition to control the power of the thrown confuses his judgment. He believes the prophecies of the three witches and then later, murderously, to his wife's bidding. Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the terrible effects that ambition and guilt can have on a man who lacks strength of character. Although the play was written in 1600 in Scotland, its theme is universal and doesn’t care about time. Macbeth's lack of character strength shows that, that is his downfall.

Between meeting the witches and his wife's immoral determination, we are left wondering if Macbeth would ever stand a chance against fate. Maybe had he not started his crime gesture, he might not have ended so dreadfully and would not have become the “tyrant” everyone calls him by the end of the play. One could argue that Macbeth is motivated to commit his evil acts by three forces.

The three witches in the play are a pretty big influence on Macbeth. For example, the witches tell him that he will be the Thane of Cawdor and it comes true proving the witches right of their prophecies. Pretty much everything the witches said came true and made an effect on the play. Macbeth would go and tell everyone what the witches said and that also made an effect on the play.

When Lady Macbeth committed suicide there was a crazy dramatic scene with Macbeth and he was mad at her for what she did. Lady Macbeth is a huge factor in Macbeth’s evil acts. For instance, she is the one who really starts him off to killing King Duncan and everyone else because she wanted to be the queen aside of Macbeth. She constantly questions his manhood making him feel like a wuss if he doesn’t commit the act of killing and being a man.

I think that Lady Macbeth, all through the book, was the main cause of all this. I say this because even though Macbeth did the crimes and the witches gave him the idea, Lady Macbeth seemed to push him over at the start. If she had not convinced him to kill Duncan, than none of this whole mess would have started. Macbeth did not want to kill his king, although he wanted the throne he did not really want to do that because he swore an oath to protect his king. Also he had no problems with the king in the beginning. But Lady Macbeth just wanted the title of being queen so she convinced him to murder the king and start this whole mess, that didn’t need to be started.

In conclusion, Macbeth did have three other forces that motivated him to commit his evil acts and bring a whole lot of chaos to this play. The three forces were the witches and their prophecies of him being king and planting the seed, his own ambition to be king and hold that title and Lady Macbeth’s constant pushing and well thought of plans all added to his motivation of committing these many evil crimes. Although in the end Macbeth dies, his massacre and chaos still left a mess behind. Macbeth should be blamed for these acts, but in the end Lady Macbeth kills herself because she knows she was the one to blame.

Power Corrupts by Ian M.

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts even the most noble of men. This saying means that the more power one has the more corrupt they become. One that has power generally abuses it. In Macbeth many different people have power, and each uses their power in a different way. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and the three witches each control some sort of power. Macbeth is a thane, and then he becomes king eventually. He is also a war hero. Lady Macbeth has power, but only after Macbeth becomes king. Lady Macbeth also has power over Macbeth. The 3 witches have power to see the future; they also have power over Macbeth.

At the beginning of the play, he is a kind man who kills in battle only, in the important situations. He saved the country by killing the thane that let the Norwegians in. Nearing the end of the play, Macbeth is now a fearful man who attacks the defenseless and pays professional murderers to kill for him. He only killed the people he did because the witches told him to beware of Banquo. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was a nice person. The only time he killed is when he was in battle. Macbeth was loyal to the King Duncan. Then he heard the witches’ prophecies and he wondered if they would ever come true. He told his wife about the prophecies. In my opinion that was his first mistake. For killing the traitor, Macbeth is awarded the title, the Thane of Cawdor. The irony of this is that the title first belonged to the traitor, which Macbeth had slain, as Macbeth heads home with his new title and more ambition. This is because of the three witches who tell him he will be king some day. With this new ambition, Macbeth did not know what to do and he wrote a letter to his wife telling about the witches prophecies. By Macbeth writing this letter it showed that he is still loyal because he was sharing everything with his wife. Macbeth at this point still didn’t have lust for power.

What drove him to be a power hungry tyrant was his wife. She put ideas in his head that changed him to what he died as. A day before Macbeth would not speak of the idea of killing the king and now he was considering it. By killing Duncan, gaining the title of king, and not being caught. He now felt invincible and let power finally get to him and corrupt him. He killed the good king because of what his wife put into his head. With his new power, Macbeth did not want to let it go away. To protect his power, he did whatever was necessary. Macbeth had Banquo killed because of what the witches told him. Shakespeare shows to the audience how power can make a person go higher in the world, but at the same time make them more vulnerable. Macbeth was now vulnerable, to change this he sent the henchmen to kill Macduff. Macduff had fled to England to get help, so the henchmen killed Lady Macduff and her son.

By Macbeth simply trying to cover his dirty footsteps left behind his search for power he had destroyed two families and killed innocent people. In the end, when it was time for Macbeth to die and lose the throne with his power, he could not take the fact that he had lost the throne and also his wife. Macbeth had become used to the power, he was killed trying to keep it. What brought Macbeth up in the world also had sent him back down.

Things Are Not Always What They Appear To Be by Bryce B.

The play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, is probably one of the most enjoyable plays I have ever read. Shakespeare uses fantastic language to help you envision the play in your mind. Although the play is easy to read and picture in your mind, things are not always what they appear to be. In this play there are various situations that play out much differently than they are said to.

In the beginning of the play Macbeth encounters three witches. He talks with the witches and they claim to have a great prophecy for him. The witches tell Macbeth that he will one day become king and all great things will happen. What Macbeth doesn’t know is that one day his wife will pressure him to murder King Duncan and that is how he inherits the throne.

After hearing the witches prophecy, Macbeth goes home and tells his wife about it. Lady Macbeth likes what her husband tells her and she schemes up a plan to assassinate King Duncan in order for Macbeth to take the throne. Her plan was to poison King Duncan’s guards and then sneak into his room and kill him with two daggers. Macbeth forgot to place the two daggers next to the guards after hi killed the king so his wife returned and planted the two daggers on the dead guards. Her intention was to stage the crime to look like the guards killed King Duncan and Macbeth and his wife would get off clean.

Later on in the play the witches return to Macbeth with another prophecy. They tell Macbeth to fear Macduff the thane of fife, but they also tell him that he cannot be killed by any man born to a woman. After a series of events, Macduff and Malcom lead and army into Scotland after Macbeth. Macbeth meets Macduff on the battlefield only to be slain by his sword. After killing Macbeth, Macduff puts his head on the end of his sword and presents it to Malcom.

The play Macbeth happens a lot differently than the characters make it seem. This play is filled with much trickery and deceit. Many of the characters in this play have two-faced personalities and bad intentions. Although Macbeth contains all this negativity it makes it a very interesting read.

Macbeth Essay by Adam R.

Many people believe in superstition and will alter the way they act because of it. People will go to fortune tellers and psychics for a look into their future or get advice for a situation they need help with. Some people will be so paranoid or confident because of a fortune, they believe despite what happens it will always be the final outcome. But in the case of Macbeth he believed in the witches tales, so much that he went to the brink of insanity. This caused him to change his whole outlook on life and completely alter his behavior.

While on the way back from a battle with his best friend Banquo, Macbeth runs into the three witches for the first time. They foretold he would be thane of Glamis, then thane of Cawdor, and later on he would become king (1.3.50-53). These fortunes had Macbeth excited and scared of what is to come. He didn’t know what to do when he got back to the North castle and King Duncan made him thane of Glamis. Soon after becoming thane of Glamis he was soon appointed thane of Cawdor. With all of the events the witches predicted coming true, Macbeth was worried and excited that their prophecy of him becoming king would be true.

Lady Macbeth throughout the entire play seemed as though she wore the pants in the family. Every time she wanted more power she convinced Macbeth to kill someone in order to climb up the ropes and eventually have the title of king. “I go, and the murder will be done. The bell calls for me to do it. Do not hear it, Duncan, for this ringing summons you to heaven or hell” (2.1.70-73). The witches third prophecy had come true and proved Macbeth’s superstitions. Macbeth was now King, and Lady Macbeth was finally satisfied. He finally did everything she had asked of him and because of it had power over the entire kingdom.

Seeking guidance Macbeth entered the woods looking for the witches. After a while he finally came upon the witches and the apparitions that they had conjured up. “Be strong like a lion and proud, and do not worry about anyone who angers or troubles you, or where conspirators might be. Macbeth will never be defeated until great birnam woods marches to fight against him.”(4.1.98-103) Macbeth, because of what they said, had no dought in his mind that this was true, seeing that the rest of the prophecies had been. This eventually led to his downfall and ultimately destroyed him.

People will believe in superstition whether it’s good or bad. They will use the information they get from fortune tellers or anyone that says they can see into the future. Sometimes it’s a good thing but more times than not people will go too far and go crazy because of these glimpses into their future. In Macbeths case they where all good, but all good things must come to an end. Macbeth tried too hard to make all of the prophecies come true and that eventually killed him. In the case of Macbeth superstition did alter his usual behaviors.

Macbeth Essay by Nicole P.

“Macbeth” is a play about Macbeth wanting to be king of Scotland because of prophecies told to him by witches. William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in the 16^th century. Lady Macbeth influences her husband to fulfill the witches’ prophecies. She desires to be Queen. When Macbeth became Thane of Cawdor it changed him. He interruption of the witches’ prophecies fueled his need to become king. Superstition can affect human behavior and bad things can begin to happen.

Lady Macbeth influences her husband to fulfill the witches’ prophecy. She wanted Macbeth become king so she can become Queen. She was telling him if he didn’t kill the king she would be very angry with him.

Make my blood thick; make my feelings numb and incapable of pity, so that no natural pangs of remorse, should come and shake my deadly purpose, nor stand in the way of the achievement of that purpose. Come to my women’s breasts and replace my milk with gall, you spirits that urge to murder, wherever your invisible forms are aiding the destructive forces of nature

(Act 1, Scene 5, lines 45 to 52).

Lady Macbeth believes in the predictions of the witches. She bosses him into doing what he only thinks to do.

Macbeth believed the witches because he had a desire to become king. He had desire to become king because Lady Macbeth really wanted to rule Thane of Cawdor. He has no say in anything he does while he’s married to her.

Two fortunate prophecies have proven true in the beginning to a splendid play on the theme of kingly power. I thank you, gentlemen. This invitation by supernatural beings cannot be bad, and yet it cannot be good. If it is bad, why has it given me a promise of success, beginning with something true? (Act 1, Scene 3, lines 137 to 143).

Macbeth is talking about prophecies cannot always be good some are also bad. He thought that the witches’ were his friends because he listened to everything the witches said.

Believing in the prophecies can lead to Macbeth’s downfall. I chose this idea because it explains why Macbeth died. Another character of this example is Lady Macbeth.

Be strong like a lion and proud, and do not worry about anyone who angers or troubles you, or where conspirators might be. Macbeth will never be defeated until great Birnam wood marches to fight against him (Act 4, Scene 1, lines 98 to 103)

Men dressed up like trees and bushes can sneak up and attack Macbeth. He didn’t know that the armies were coming because he was thinking about what the witches’ prophecies told him to do.

At the end of the play it tells us that Macbeth dies in a fight with Macduff. In the fight Macbeth had a hot head because he thought he was going to win because of what the witches’ prophecies told him. The biggest idea that ties everything up is that Lady Macbeth influences her husband to fulfill the witches’ prophecy. Superstition can affect human behavior and bad things begin to happen.