Macbeth Role Of Witches

Often debated is the role of the witches in Macbeth’s life, whether they controlled him, or merely provided him with insight. The witches are introduced at the beginning of the play and give Macbeth three prophecies. First, that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, second that he will become Thane of Glams, and finally he will become King. There is the possibility that once Macbeth met with the witches, they controlled every move he …

…downfall. Banquo warns Macbeth not to trust the witches’ prophecies, but he pays no attention. Even when the second set of prophecies Macbeth receives begin to show their faults, he blames the witches for deceiving him with "half-truths.” While the witches are not responsible for the actions of Macbeth, they are responsible for putting the ideas into his head, which in turn fire up Macbeth's ambition and lead him to a disastrous and untimely end.