Deception

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, there is a type of fortunetellers that must obscure

reality for the prophecies that they tell to become true. Obscuring reality is twisting fate by
telling people something and knowing how they will react which makes the prophecy come true.
They understand how people react to different situations and base their fortunes off the expected
reactions. Their prophecies are often clouded with mystery and have lots of room for
interpretation because of the complex and equivocal language used. These prophecies cause the
death of many characters in the play in order to achieve what was prophesized. The witches
manipulate Macbeths actions by obscuring reality causing fear and overconfidence.
In the beginning of the play, Macbeth was manipulated by the witches when the witches
gave him three simple prophecies. The most important prophecy of the three obscures reality
prophesizing that All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter (1.3.53). The witches are
saying here that Macbeth will be king whether it be sooner or later. These witches however,
obscure reality. The prophecies do not happen in a straight forward manner, Macbeth does not
know when or how he will become king causing him to murder many people. It is up to
Macbeth to decide how or when he will become king and this is how the witches manipulate
him. The witches know that by telling Macbeth, he will do what it takes to become king,
therefore, fulfilling his own prophecy. If the witches did not tell Macbeth of him becoming king,
it would be impossible for him to achieve this because he would have taken no action and would
not have given it a second thought because there are rightful heirs to the throne so the throne
would never be his without any foul play. The witches know they can get to Lady Macbeth,
because of her drive for power, who manipulates herself to get to Macbeth. Sometimes the
witches prophecies are so obscure, they almost do not tell the reader anything:

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FIRST WITCH. Lesser than Macbeth and greater.

SECOND WITCH. Not so happy, yet much happier. (1.3.68-69)
This is the prophecy that the witches gave to Banquo. This shows how equivocal their language
can be because the witches are saying that Banquo can be one or the other. This is so opposing
and is so obscure that it is almost paradoxical, showing that the witches prophecies are not
straight forward and are very vague. Through this obscure reality, the prophecies often induce
fear. When Macbeth hears of Banquos prophecy where the witches say that Banquo shalt get
kings, though thou be none(1.3.70). This means that although Banquo shall give birth to kings,
he shall not be one himself. This gives Macbeth responds with doubts and fears of Banquo.
According to the prophecies, Macbeth is to become king, but Banquos children are going to be
the successors to the throne after Macbeth. Macbeth chooses to interpret the prophecy as it must
mean that Banquo or his children will kill Macbeth. This prophecy induces fear in Macbeth
because he obviously wants his own children to become king. It is only natural that Macbeth,
trying to prevent Banquos children from becoming king, sends murderers after Banquo and his
son. Macbeth is feeling so guilty about the murder that he sees a ghost and tells it Thou canst
not say I did it. Never shake/Thy gory locks at me(3.4.61-62). This quote shows that Macbeth
is indeed fearful of Banquo which is why he chooses to murder him and this is how Macbeth
chooses to respond to this fear. However, through this fear and his drive for ambition, he has
grown more and more accustomed to murdering and feeling less and less guilt. The prophecies
manipulate Macbeth into fearing Banquo, making Macbeth send murderers after him, in a
desperate measure to protect his kingship. Little does he know, he is acting exactly how the
witches want him to, and it is futile trying to prevent fate from unraveling. These obscure

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prophecies leave much room for interpretation and Macbeth chooses to respond with fear and
murder which is how he is manipulated by the prophecies.
The second encounter with the witches causes Macbeth is manipulated by the prophecies
again however, he chooses to respond to these new prophecies with an overconfident reaction.
Near the middle of the play, the witches summon three apparitions who speak for the witches.
The prophecies are, once again, very obscure and leave much room for interpretation. The
second apparition said:
Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth (4.1.90-92)
Macbeth believes that the apparition is saying that no one who is born from a woman shall harm
Macbeth. This quote is actually telling Macbeth to be bold and overconfident and Macbeth
chooses to be overconfident, letting his guard down because of the way he chose to interpret the
prophecy. Macbeth becomes overconfident at this remark because he believes that there is no one
in the world, who was not born from a woman. The quote is relatively straight forward but
Macbeth chooses not to think about possible loopholes. Therefore, he thought it was impossible
for someone to harm him. His overconfidence gets him killed in the end because he believes he
is invincible and actually tells Macduff that he bears a charmed life, which must not yield/To
one of woman born (5.8.15-16). He says this after Macduff challenges him and saying that it is
actually pointless to fight Macbeth because he cannot be harmed by anyone except by those who
are not woman born. This shows how overconfident he was telling others that it was useless to
challenge him because there is no way that he can die. Promptly after, Macduff tells Macbeth
that he was from his mothers womb/Untimely ripped (5.8.19-20). Macbeth realizes that it is

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Macduff who was prophesized to kill him and then he is afraid and brought out of his state of
ignorance, but it was too late by then. The way Macbeth chose to interpret the prophecy, shows
how he was manipulated by the witches to make him believe that he was invincible, but dies
because of the obscure reality of the prophecy. Another example of Macbeth choosing to be
overconfident because of misinterpretation of a prophecy is when the third apparition forsees
that: Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill/Shall
come against him (4.1.103-107). This is saying that Macbeth should be high and mighty and
should never fear defeat until the forest of Great Birnam Wood comes to fight him. Macbeth
chooses to interpret this prophecy as, when the roots of the trees come out of the earth and start
walking to his castle, that is when he will die. This gives him a false sense of security and an
overwhelming sense of overconfidence because he believes that the forest itself, must move for
him to fall. He is so sure about himself, he tells his messengers and attendants to: Bring me no
more report. Let them all fly//I cannot taint with fear (5.3.1,3). This quote shows to what
extent the witches manipulated him. It explains how no matter what happens, how good or how
bad, he does not care about anything because he will never be killed until the forest moves and
therefore he will never lose. He foolishly indulges himself in the promises of safety that the
apparition gives him, which causes him to believe that as long as he never died, neither will his
army. Again, Macbeth responds that it is impossible for someone to command the forest and he
will never have to fear defeat. Macbeth believes he has two safeguards now and even if one
prophecy occurs, the other cannot. Malcolm actually commands the soldiers to hew him down
a bough/And bear t before him(5.4.6-7). The second and third apparitions were events that
Macbeth should fear in the near future but Macbeth foolishly interpreted them as telling him to
be overconfident because the events foretold were impossible to come true. The events were

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eventually fulfilled by the people that were the most direct threat to him, being Malcolm and
Macduff . They were not a threat to him, however, but to his kingship and the inheritors of the
crown and the manipulation of his attitude towards himself, invincible and overconfidence,
caused him to fall because he did not care about anything that happened because as long as he
does not die, neither would his kingship. This overconfidence and sense of invincibility was how
the apparitions manipulated him from the obscure reality of their prophecies, giving room for
much interpretation and Macbeth dies because of the way he chooses to interpret them.
The witches manipulate Macbeths actions by obscuring reality causing fear and
overconfidence. The witches in Macbeth give prophecies that obscure reality by using equivocal
language to mask the truth hidden in the prophecies. The prophecies often have multiple
interpretations but Macbeth chooses to interpret them in the most foolish way. He chooses either
to react in fear or overconfidence. When he reacts in fear, he plans out many murders, killing the
people that threatened his kingship. When he reacts in overconfidence, he is so full of himself
that he is oblivious to everything around him and does not even care about anything around him
because he chooses to believe that he is invincible and will not die. In the end of the play,
Macbeth dies because of manipulation from the witches and misinterpretation from the equivocal
language used in their prophecies.

Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Print.