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 in the scene when Macbeth wishes to talk to Hecate. Said to be the
utter evil of evils, we see that Macbeth has reached a point where he is willing
to give him self up completely to evil, all for the sake of becoming king. He
doesn’t just wish to become king, he wants to make sure that he stays king,
showing the greedy side of Macbeth. We see this illustrated when Macbeth decides
to kill Banqou. Macbeth decides to kill Banqou, because the witches, again
serving as advice givers, tell Macbeth that Banqou’s children will become
king. So, to prevent them from becoming king, and replacing him, he kills Banqou.
As Shwister states, “Macbeth turns around away from Banqou without a word
tragically quick to believe what he wants to believe, whatever feeds ambition”
(155). With this, we see that Macbeth no longer see reality, he just says the
world in the way that he wants. He sees Banqou not as an honest friend, but as a
man who will bring on children that will steal his crown. So through that
reason, he wishes to kill Banqou. Through killing Banqou, Macbeth will receive
unwanted visions that leave him on the verge of insanity. The most crucial
moment that we see in the story, the moment that shows us that Macbeth has
reached the point where he reached to edge of sanity, is the point after Banqou
gets murdered. We see that after Macbeth is told of Banqou’s death, Macbeth
views Banqou as an apparition. Appearing as a sign from his subconscious that he
has done something real wrong, and now he has to live with has action, Macbeth
is shown Banqou in a matter where Macbeth would not be able to get rid of him.
Macbeth’s guilt has finally come out in a fashion where it can ruin his
credibility as king. By displaying this show of insanity in front of everyone at
the dinner table, everyone begins to doubt Macbeth’s word. As Shwister puts
it, “Macbeth is a trance of horror, half-formed thoughts of murder rising from
depths of his soul” (150). Macbeth has stepped into a realm outside of sanity.
A realm that leaves him seeing visions in the dark of faces that he has brought
on through his actions. Seeing visions of murder that put him in states of
paranoia and disillusion. As we see later on, when the forest appears to come to
him, Macbeth realizes that he is going to die, and he chooses to give in because
his guilt tells him that that is what he deserves. We have seen that Macbeth
relies greatly on the witches. Through examples from such as his motives for
killing Banqou to his motives for killing Duncan. We see that the witches work
as much for Macbeth, as Macbeth works for the witches. As Bloom suggests, the
witches need someone to be able to control someone to have as a drone to carry
on evil for them. (532). We have seen many examples brought up. We have seen
that Macbeth takes the witches’ suggestion more heavily than he does of his
own wife, as Berryman states when says “This gives that idea, that Macbeth
doesn’t tell, or asks for advice from Lady Macbeth on some of the
murders”(324). Which means that some of the murders were a result of the
witches telling him about things that could happen and that he didn’t always
rely on what she had to say, but more on what the witches had to say. We have
seen that the witches instill thought into Macbeth’s mind, which later lead
him to commit evil acts such as killing Duncan and Banqou. We have seen that the
images that were instilled into Macbeth’s mind included images that led him to
be greedy but wanting to stay king, and stopping at no costs to do it, such as
by giving himself up to the utmost evil, Hecate. We have seen characters in the
story doubt Macbeth’s sanity when he believes that he sees Banqou’s ghost.
All of these instances prove the fact that the witches implanted the ideas of
evil in Macbeth’s head. From knowing this we can safely deduce, that the point
for having the witches in the story was to have them influence Macbeth.