Would Duncan’s Murder Occuer Without the Prophecies?

WOULD DUNCAN’S MURDER OCCUER WITHOUT THE PROPHECIES?

Many readers believe that in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, the Macbeths may have taken over Duncan without the prophecy of the witches. However, there are many solid facts and arguments which would prove this to be wrong.

The Macbeths’ have great ambitions towards their goal to become King and Queen, but without the motivation and the idea of reality given to Macbeth by the witches’ prophecy, they wouldn’t have gone after the throne. Many people have dreams of riches and royalty, but they need another element to push them to towards making this reality.

In Macbeth, the witches create a morally corrupt atmosphere and they are evil. They were especially frowned upon through out the Elizabethan Times, and anything they say would be seen as evil, therefore making the prophecies evil. When Macbeth first encounters the witches, they tell him that he will be Thane of Cawdor and King, Banquo describes him to be startled and amazed. “My noble partner You greet with present grace, and great prediction Of noble having and royal hope, That he seem rapt withal…” (I. iii, 54-57). This shows that those honours were unexpected by Macbeth since he was so startled by it. In the same scene, Macbeth says, “Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor: the greatest is behind” (I. iii 116-117). This means that the greatest of the three prophecies has not yet happened. This shows that he is greatly looking forward to royalty and wasn’t originally planning to obtain this position.

The witches played an important role towards unleashing Macbeth’s ambition for murder, because throughout Act One, Scene Three there are many proofs showing that Macbeth hasn’t thought seriously about being King, far murder. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smother’d in surmise…” (I. iii, 139-141). In these lines Macbeth is speaking aside about how even the thought of murder just gives him the shivers. Banquo speaks again about how Macbeth is still in such amazement, and lost in his own thoughts. This shows the witches made him feel that he will be king and it is his destiny, proving that the prophecies are what opened up a whole new line of thoughts for Macbeth.

Later on the idea of murder begins to arise in Macbeths mind after hearing the prophecy when Macbeth speaks aside, about the thought of being King, “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without stir” (I. iii, 142-144). This means that if I am to be King, why murder? Let me be crowned without any effort. Macbeth is speaking about how he doesn’t want to walk down the path of murder, showing that even with the prophecy of him guaranteed the position he still isn’t comfortable with it. So without the prophecy he wouldn’t even have murder on his mind, especially after receiving the honourable title Thane of Cawdor.

Thane of Cawdor is a very high and noble position which would satisfy the greed and cravings of anyone, but everyone knows that if someone is told they can have more they will clearly want more. This is what the prophecies did for Macbeth, they added lust towards Macbeth’s guilty ambition. It is in human nature to desire more. “And, for earnest of a great honour, He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor: In which addition, hail, most worthy Thane! For it is thine.” (I. iii, 104-106). These lines are spoken by Ross (another Thane) to Macbeth letting him know about his new honour on top of the title he already has, Thane of Glamis. At this point anyone would be in the state of celebration,