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Macbeth - Expository Essay

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"What are these, So wither'd and so wild in their attire, That look not like th' inhabitants o' th' earth, And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught That man may question? . . . By each one her choppy finger laying Upon her skinny lips. You should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so" (1.3.39-46).  The Three Witches, also known by many as the "Weird Sisters," whose predictions are the events that compile the story of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, are a very interesting discussion topic for many reasons. The Three Witches represent darkness, chaos, and conflict. Not only do they have significantly odd traits; beards, poisons, their way of talking, etc., they also make many curious predictions over the course of the play. One of their predictions is that Macbeth, the main character, will become king over Scotland, which is the basis for the entire plot of the story. You immediately begin to see the malevolence and trickery intended by the sisters. Their very dialogue, rhyming in couplets, already gives you the feeling that "something wicked this way comes.  It is because of the sisters that Macbeth spirals downhill so fast. In his quest to fulfill the witches prophecy, he goes from a brave, loyal soldier to a murderer. The witches' are so conniving that Macbeth believes them with vigor and wholeheartedness, although not all of them blame can be put on them for that. Many people wonder if these three sisters were acting independently or if they were agents of fate. For example it is doubtful that Macbeth would have murdered the king were it not for their predictions. But on the other hand without the constant urging of Lady Macbeth he probably never would have done it. The witches are often compared to "The Fates  of Greek mythology, who had subtle but great powers in deciding the destiny of man. They assign a man to good or evil, which in a way so do the three sisters with their hypnotizin

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