Example research essay topic: Witches Prophecy Lady Macbeth - 1,065 words

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All throughout Acts two and three Macbeth slowly goes mad. He changes from a calm and cautious man into a cold-hearted power happy king. These acts show how his guilty conscious got to him and how they slowly turned his mind inside out. They also prove that his over confidence will soon bring the end to his short reign. In act two we see the first part of his dramatic change and we see part of the witches prophecy come true.

He is a man compelled to actions by the pressure of other people, and his tragic flaw consists of replacing his own ambition with that of others, such as his wife or the witches, and then allowing their ambitious or visions to blind him. Macbeth is still unsure about if he should kill Duncan or if he should not. He is then convinced to do it by his wife Lady Macbeth and hence started the witches prophecy. Their prophecies darkened the thoughts of Macbeth and put in his head what they said and he thought that what they had was what was going to happen and nothing could change that. If he would not have listen to his power hungry wife and did not Duncan then any of this would have happened. But why couldn t I say Amen?

I had the strongest need to be blessed, yet Amen stuck in my throat. (Macbeth, 2. 2. 30 - 33) This is significant because this is the first sign that Macbeth is thinking in that head of his and that he has a conscious. This also shows that he already feels regret for what he has done and still is unsure. We can tell here that this is a significant event in his mind and that it is going to be stuck in his mind all throughout the play. In this part of Act two he also shows he first sign of seeing and hearing things. I thought I heard a voice cry, Sleep no more! Macbeth has murdered sleep -innocent sleep (2. 2 34 - 36) This is only the beginning of the things he hears and sees that drive him insane.

Where is that knocking coming from? What is the matter with me that every noise terrifies me? Whose hands are these? Ha! They tear my eyes out! (Macbeth 2. 2 57 - 58) Macbeth is terrified at what he has done and is know seeing things, which scares him even more. He would have gone crazy and told everybody that he killed Duncan but Lady Macbeth talks to him and calms him down and tries to make him feel that what he has done was for the good.

During Act two Macbeth only starts the wheel of madness in to motion. This is only the beginning of what is to come for him and his dark mind. If only he stopped to think about what he was going to do and not listen to the thoughts of other people. Duncan was also a dear friend of Macbeth and no one suspected that Macbeth did the dead. He was free of the crime, for the time being at least. Act three is the act where Macbeth changes the most and does not tell.

The entire act revolves around the role of Banquo in the beginning of Macbeth's downfall. Macbeth's personality in this act can be characterized as severely lacking in conscience. He is a man whose ambition to power allows brutal acts of violence without any apparent remorse, even at his bitter end. He is both indecisive and rash, not knowing exactly what to do, but then suddenly taking action at the most awkward of times. And along with Banquo-to make sure of no hitches or blunders in your work-his son, Fleance, who rides with him, whose disappearance is no less important to me that his father s, he must too meet the same fate at the dark hour. (Macbeth 3. 2. 132 - 138) This is Macbeth with his quick decision and no thinking. He thinks he has a full proof plan but soon learns that it isn t.

He now does not know that Banquo is on to his plans and he knows that Macbeth is going to try something so he can keep the crown. This is the first mistake Macbeth makes and his first step on his downfall, and the most impacting thing that drives him crazy. Yet I am afraid that you (Macbeth) played a crooked hand to get it. (Banquo 3. 1. 3 - 4) This is the line proving that he knows what Macbeth is up to. The most important part that to the madness of Macbeth was after he killed Banquo and he saw the ghost of Banquo at the banquet. You can t say I committed the murder. Don t shake your bloody hair at me.

This is when Lennox asks Macbeth to sit down and Macbeth says there is no seats empty and then he sees that ghost. He is the only one to see the ghost of Banquo so every body thinks that he has gone ill so they decide to leave but are told by Lady Macbeth to stay. She says that Macbeth has been like this since he was a baby and tries to tell him that this is normal for him. After the banquet Lennox and the Lord are catching onto Macbeth and what he has done also.

Also Hecate foreshadows that Macbeth s over confidence will bring an end to him. Macbeth s madness has risen to a point of no return. Nothing has gone his way and people are starting to catch on to him. The downfall of his reign is in evident and he can t stop it. There are many things that have added up with his madness. While trying to kill both Banquo and Fleance he messes up and does not kill Fleance, who will soon be the bearer of his crown.

Also he sees the ghost of Banquo after he kills him and not even the words of his soothing wife could calm him down at this point. We are at a point in the play were at any time now he is going to snap and be revealed. He is like a bomb waiting to explode with any sudden movement or touch.

Research essay sample on Witches Prophecy Lady Macbeth