How Does Act 1, Scene 3 Present The Changing Character of Macbeth?'

How does Act 1, Scene 3 present the changing character of Macbeth?
In Act 1, Scene 3, we are reintroduced to the withered sisters, gathered on a

heath near Forres waiting for Macbeth, who arrives with Banquo from the
battle camp. This is when the prophecies begin, with the first witch chanting
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! the second witch chanting
All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! and the last prophecy from
the third witch being All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! Macbeth
is indubitably confused and stunned by the witches claims and Banquo tells
him not to believe what the witches tell him. The witches later continue with
their claims, but this time, its Banquos turn. They tell Banquo that Thou shalt
get kings, though thou be none and then disappear. Later, Angus and Ross
(King Duncans messengers) arrive and affirm that Macbeth is indeed the
Thane of Cawdor as a result of his success. Macbeth is puzzled as he
believes the previous thane is still alive and asks why do you dress me in
borrow'd robes? Angus confirms that the previous Thane of Cawdor has
committed treason towards King Duncan and is to be killed. Both noblemen
are agitated to know that the witches prophecies have been true so far, yet
nervous due to the idea that they will be tricked to commit treason towards
King Duncan. Macbeth vows to let things happen as they come
Before the witches disappear, Macbeth is eager to find out more; Stay, you
imperfect speakers, tell me more. This very moment changes the readers
perception of Macbeth being a nobleman, whos faithful towards authority. It
also allows the readers mind to think about his desires and resilience; for him
to become King of Scotland, or even Thane of Glamis, he will have to commit
some sort of treason. The idea that hes willing to hear more from these
non-inhabitants o' the earth, and yet are on't? indicates that hes keen to
know more, as the idea of becoming thane or even king enlivens him and
stimulates ideas.
Arguably, he may just be curious and uses the virtues of being an army
general. After being told his and Banquos predictions and when they witches
are ready to leave, he begins to use imperatives and commands the witches
to tell him more: Speak, I charge you before they disappear. This illuminates
Macbeths noble and brave traits, as he demands the witches to elaborate on
these ridiculous prophecies. How can a man like Macbeth, who has just
defeated the enemy, dare to even think of betraying his comrades? This
supports the idea of Macbeth being an ultimately gallant person.
After being told the news that he is officially the new Thane of Cawdor,
Macbeth is confused since the previous thane is supposed to be alive. He is
told that the previous thane is going to die due to committing treason.
Macbeth is ecstatic, not only because he has been crowned as the new
Thane of Glamis, but also because two out of the three witches prophecies
have been correct. Macbeth asks Banquo do you not hope your children shall
be kings? which proves that Macbeth is the one taking their predictions
seriously. The witches have spurred his dark and inner evil and their true
predictions have contributed to the ambitious tyrant inside him.
Macbeths soliloquy is a manifestation of his ambition; its here the famished

monster inside of him grows bigger and bigger. However, he is still confused
and even scared of the thoughts hes having: If good, why do I yield to that
suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair. The punctuation
Shakespeare has used in Macbeths soliloquy also support this idea since
there are commas in the middle and at the end of certain lines, which
ascertains this notion of Macbeth being bewildered by the thoughts,
imaginings and ideas hes having. This proves that Macbeth isnt necessarily
completely evil. Macbeth even says that the remaining fears from the battle
are overshadowed by his horrible imaginings: Present fears, Are less than
horrible imaginings which proves how anxious he really is. The thoughts and
visualizations hes having are completely foreign and alien to him; he has
most likely never thought of betraying his king before the witches prophecies.
Macbeth is frightened because the thoughts and ideas hes thinking of have
never crossed his mind.
However, one may also look at it from another perspective; Macbeth must
have some sort of evil inside him if hes beginning to justify, yet alone think, of
committing an act of injustice. He tries to justify his thoughts and imaginings:
if ill, why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth? I am
Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is in a trance of desire; hes reached the level in
which hes determined to justify anything to get what he wants. The statement
I am Thane of Cawdor in particular stands out because its straightforward.
Its as if hes affirming one of the witches prophecies to himself, like he needs
to be reminded again that what they have been saying so far is truth. He may
be doing this so he wont be engulfed by his humane conscience and starve
the hungry thoughts hes having.
In Scene 1, Act 3, Macbeths character goes through a rollercoaster ride; from
being a noble man who has just defeated the enemy, to a curious man who is
determined to believe the prophecies, to frightened man who has thoughts
more horrific than the battle he has just fought, to a ruthless man who will
justify any wrongdoing. Macbeths evolution of character foreshadows the play
to an extent, as the audience have been introduced to a completely different
side of Macbeth; a Macbeth he wasnt even aware of existed. But this
juxtaposes with Macbeths human qualities; he isnt entirely ready to do what
he needs to, to become king: If chance will have me king, why, chance may
crown me without my stir. This proves that, even though he may be battling
with his own demons inside, he wants to be crowned without his input.
Macbeths human qualities make the following scenes unpredictable; will he
or wont he commit treason?

How Does Act 1, Scene 3 Present The Changing Character of Macbeth?'

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How Does Act 1, Scene 3 Present The Changing Character of Macbeth?'

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How does Act 1, Scene 3 present the changing character of Macbeth?

In Act 1, Scene 3, we are reintroduced to the withered sisters, gathered on a

Macbeths soliloquy is a manifestation of his ambition; its here the famished

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