Cerrillo 1

Demi Cerrillo
Period 4
December 9, 2015
British Literature
Motif: Witches/ Witchcraft
In the 1500s, society continued to develop as people became innovative, acting as an
initiator to the advancement of their era. This time period is known as the Elizabethan Age.
During this time, Elizabeth I was Queen of England in which she was able to create a
cultural and commercial center where learning and literature thrived for London. Queen
Elizabeth was fond of theater, encouraging those with the same interests to follow their
literary pursuits. One of those people, the most well known poet, playwright, and actor, was
William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote plays that captured the complete range of human
emotion and conflict. Among his most famous works, an active piece of literature in modern
society, includes Macbeth. Macbeth is viewed as one of the greatest literature of all time
which brings the question, what is so great about it? One characteristic that can be shared in
admiration by its audience is the fact that Shakespeare had the ability to write the entire play
in iambic pentameter. Another characteristic is the intensity of its plot. It is a vicious tale
sparked by ambition and how far one would go to receive what they want. The main character
exemplifies this as he murders to become king which eventually leads to his own downfall.
This play is considered extremely tragic that those who are actors reenacting Macbeth are not
allowed to say the word Macbeth when out of character. In the play, the characters and
audience encounters witches, causing people believe that Shakespeare actually wrote magic
spells in the lines in order to curse it. Within the play, witches and their witchcraft will be
faced more than once. Shakespeare was able to balance both its supernatural elements with
an extended and precise psychological study.

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Within different ages and in many countries, it was inevitable to believe in witches
and witchcraft regarding the circumstances in which people needed to explain the
unexplainable. Illuminating unusual circumstances was easier by blaming demonic powers.
Religion was also an important factor during this time period which was not supported by
everyone. Those who rejected God were seen as witches for they were thought of to be
making a deal with Satan rather than with God. Shakespeare appealed to the attraction
towards witches in his play, Macbeth. In fact, Shakespeare opens his play with the three
witches to set the events of the play in motion. They symbolize darkness and evil and their
encounter with Macbeth foreshadows their affect on him. One of the opening lines that the
witches mention is foul is fair and fair is foul. This gives the audience a confused state as
they question its meaning. It was the perfect line to depict that nothing that the audience will
predict will happen; nothing is certain. Act 1 continues with the king executing the traitorous
thane of Cawdor resulting to the king awarding Macbeth with Cawdors title. Afterwards
comes the encounter with the witches, Macbeth, and Banquo. In this scene, Macbeth and
Banquo are given glimpses of their futures. Macbeth is told that he would be crowned king
one day and Banquo is told that his line his kids will run the line to the throne. Not being able
to ask further questions, the witches disappear, leaving Macbeth and Banquo questioning
whether what they just heard is true or not. Within the text, the witches are called weird
sisters. It is believed that the term weird is supposed to allude to the term wyrd meaning
fate. The fates are said to be of those who control a mans destiny. The play continues being
showing how exactly the weird sisters were able to achieve this. Macbeth informs Lady
Macbeth of the information he received and she is driven by desire for power that she
influences her wants upon Macbeth. The actions that Lady Macbeth takes have her
considered to be a witch as well. Witches generally would try to change the order of society

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while Lady Macbeth tried to change order of sexes and family. She attempts this by trying to
have more power than Macbeth along with degrading him by challenging his manhood. She
appears to be the one who is more aggressive and make the decisions between the two, which
is unusual or weird. By the end of Act 1, Lady Macbeth was able to fully manipulate
Macbeth to performing the murders. The next act discusses on how the witches ability to
control Macbeths destiny was accomplished as Macbeth committed the murder of King
Duncan in order to receive the crown. However, the plot does not end here for every act has
its consequence. He has to forever live with his guilt for his treacherous acts along with
external factors such as the characters.
Supernatural elements play a large part in the drama, but Shakespeare makes it quite
clear that Macbeth is to blame for his descent into blood and tyranny. In Act 3, Macbeth
appears more comfortable in continuing his evil acts in order to receive power. His actions
are driven by not only ambition, but by fear as well. Macbeth realizes that the throne will
never fully be his as he recalls the prophecies that the witches proclaimed for Banquo. He
goes forth with manipulating two murderers in hating Banquo as a means to murdering him
and his son. He does not argue with his conscience or hesitate on his decision. Instead, he
views it as an act beyond his control for he must do what he has to do in order to complete his
mission. Shakespeare continues to apply the supernatural within his play as Banquos ghost
appears at Macbeths banquet after the murderers accomplished part of their task. Terrified of
what Macbeth is visioning, he goes on with speaking to the ghost, having his guests thinking
he is delusional. Lady Macbeth attempts to cover up Macbeths behavior by saying to ignore
him for it has been an ill that he has suffered since his youth. The witches appear again in
scene 5 but this time with an unexpected guest. Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft scolds them
for not consulting her on their recent doings.

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She advices them that when he comes back to give him a false sense of security. In other
words, continue to control his destiny in a way where Macbeth has lost all control.
The witches play an important role once again in Act 4. After being reprimanded by
Hecate, the witches know that they must finish what they started. The act begins with the
witches performing their witchcraft. Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron
bubble. They continue chanting their spells until Macbeth appears before them. As he enters,
the witches refer to him as something wicked which shows how the witches were able to
successfully controls Macbeths fortune. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is seen as a
man with great courage and honor, however, now he is seen as an wicked and evil man. This
is evident as the audience reads on to see that Macbeth appears to the weird sisters to receive
more knowledge of his future. They satisfy his question by each giving him an apparition so
that he will not worry on what will happen. The predictions they tell him give him confidence
that nothing that goes his way could stop him. However, the last vision depicts Banquos son
walking in a line with Banquo at the end. This makes Macbeth question his power once again
but this time, the witches do not stay to satisfy his other questions. Because of this Macbeth
continues his evil deeds, including demanding to capture Macduffs castle and murder his
family. All actions that Macbeth has done to receive the full power, they will eventually lead
to many people wanting revenge. This is shown in Act 5, as Malcolm conjures up and army
goes forth to defeat Macbeth. This leads to a gruesome battle where Macbeth loses all sense
of security as he realizes how he wrongly assumed the witches predictions. Eventually,
Macbeth faces death as Macduff decapitates him. By the end of the play, the audience sees
how the witches prophecies greatly affected his life which ultimately led to his death. At
least, it can be said that Macbeth is not entirely responsible for

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his actions as the witches manipulated him as they were able to allow him to deceive himself.
Just as the devil would do, they led him into temptation.
In conclusion, Shakespeare was able to ingeniously relate his play, Macbeth, with the
events of his time. During the Elizabethan Age, not only was it a period of learning and
literature, it was also a crucial period for religion wherein people started to believe in witches
and witchcraft. Macbeth, a tragic play, contains both characteristics of the supernatural.
Shakespeare uses those elements in order to give the audience a sense of darkness and evil.
Within the play, the weird sisters were the ones who opened the play and their actions are
what led Macbeth to his death. They were able to accomplish their task by control his destiny.
Through their prophecies of Macbeth and Banquo, it led Macbeth to be sparked by ambition
in which he commits treacherous crimes in order to receive power.