The witches' deceptive predictions give Macbeth and Lady Macbeth a false sense of what is possible. The witches do not only deceive Macbeth but their predictions tempt him to commit the murder of Duncan. "From the moment that their eyes first met with Macbeth's, he is spell-bound. That meeting sways his destiny" (Lambs 184). The Weird Sisters are the ones who give Macbeth the impulse to commit the treasonous act. "They are the supernatural beings who encourage Macbeth in his e

Many people in Macbeth's time religiously believed in superstitions. "By virtue of their spiritual substance they are acquainted with the causes of things, and, thought the application of wisdom gained by long experience, are able to prognosticate the future events in relation to Macbeth" (Curry 240). Macbeth's problem is that he is views the predictions literally. Macbeth is only willing to hear what he wants to of the witches predictions, and he believes in the witches because their prophecies are so alluring.

Coriat, Isador. "The Hysteria of Lady Macbeth." 1912. Shakespearean Criticism.

Lady Macbeth influences Macbeth to kill Duncan. She serves much the same role as the witches do in manipulating Macbeth to murder Duncan, but her influence is of a more frightening nature. She uses her status as a woman to con Macbeth into killing Duncan. As his wife, she also has to calm any of his fears and doubts. She also is looking out for his benefit and wants to see him succeed. Lady Macbeth plays a very important role in tragic development of the play.

The combination of the influence of the witches and the influence of the Lady Macbeth on Macbeth are undoubtedly what precipitate the tragedy. The witches' initial prophecies set Macbeth up to be doomed in the first place. The apparitions deceive Macbeth and lead him to believe he is invincible, when that is not the truth. Lady Macbeth plays a large role in the influence of her husband. She questioned his manliness to get him to commit murder for her. She was able to calm his fears to assure him that the plan would work and benefit him. Lady Macbeth desired to see her husband succeed so much, that she'd tell him anything to get him to kill Duncan. The Witches influence only existed only on a cosmic level, as where Lady Macbeth's persuasion of her husband is more fear-inspiring because she brings the full extent of the witches' evil influence to an internal level with her power to make Macbeth murder Duncan.

Macbeth is still being controlled by the witches because "Macbeth will be harmed by none of woman born, and will never be vanquished till Birnam wood shall come against him, involves no action of his" (Bradley 215). He is still very vulnerable, although he believes otherwise. The Apparitions urge Macbeth "towards destruction with the pronouncement of half-truths" (Curry 240). The second and third Apparitions lead Macbeth to believe that he is invulnerable. Macbeth believes strongly in the apparitions, "whose predictions seem to promise safety, but actually foretell his destruction" (Boyce 715). Macbeth is motivated by the second and third Apparitions' promises, that he goes to seek the answer to one more of his questions. He wants to know if Banquo's descendants will be kings. The witches give Macbeth his answer with another image of a procession of eight kings and Banquo as the last. Macbeth says that this is a "Horrible Sight! (IV, i, 122), but the first witch asks him why he's so surprised, because, after all, they forewarned him of this in the first prediction. (When the witches first met Macbeth, they told Banquo that he "shalt get kings, though thou be none" (I, iii, 67)). This shows how everything the witch's have predicted will come true. "We find that the same ambiguous oracles which, by their literal fulfillment, deceive those who confide in them" (Schlegel 184). It is obvious that Macbeth is fated to be doomed. "Our essential point is clear- namely, that the witches foretell the future, and with an accuracy that does not fail in the very smallest particular" (Rmelin 202). Because of his tragic fate, Macbeth can never escape the influence of the witches and their accurate predictions of the future.

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Approximate Word count = 2904
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)