Role of witches in Macbeth

Shakespeare’s use of witches in his famous play Macbeth is indeed a common contemporary theatrical device of the time. However, he reaches the situation and the characters to such a psychological state that we are somehow convinced at the rationality of the irrationality of the witches. They have been used to lessen the responsibility of the hero’s killing a legitimate, old and virtuous king, King Duncan.

In order to misguide the hero, Macbeth who has been presented at first as brave, noble, gentle, loyal to the king and loved by all,  Shakespeare here applies, a device, the witches whose task is to misguide and confuse people and distort reality. To them,

Fair is foul, and foul is fair:

Hover through the fog and filthy air.

They call Macbeth the “thane of Glamis” which he already possess, and the future “thane of Cawdor” and the king hereafter. Next when he, having returned from a victorious battlefield, is informed the king’s reward to him the “thane of Cawdor”, he becomes confused and frightened that two of the prophecies have constantly proved, and

          “[t]he greatest is behind”

Here, it is arguable that some sort of hidden ambition was already in his mind and so the “horrid image” of some mischievous deed could “unfix” his hair. Doktor Alessandro De Vivo (2009:2) comments,

“So we can say that the temptation was already in Macbeth’s mind and the prophesies of the witches reinforces this temptation.” (p.2)

However some critics want to see the witches as the agents of fate, yet Macbeth is responsible. Richard Andersen (2009:106) comments,

Fate, as represented by the three witches, influences Macbeth, but Macbeth is responsible for his behavior and consequences. (p.106)

Actually, it doesn’t matter who tells you what to do, if you committed the crime, you are responsible.  If you do it, it’ is your fault.