De baltea. be harrassed Questions and Exercises: What were the prophecies of the witches? How were they accomplished? a. b. Explain why and how Macbeth decided to kill the King. What was the influence of Lady Macbeth on her husband? C. d. Describe what happened on the night the King was murdered. e. Explain why Macbeth was afraid of Banquo. f. Describe what happened at the Banquet. Write an account of Macbeth's interview with the spirits. h. Explain how the spirits' prophecies were fulfilled, What is the part played by Macduff and Malcolm in the story? i Who, do you think, was more guilty, Macbeth or Lady Macbeth?
Answers
Answer:
Yes. Macbeth really does see the three Witches in the play. Banquo also sees them and speaks with them. Initially, Banquo questions the Witches about whether they are real or possibly a hallucination he and Macbeth both share, but throughout the rest of the play both men seem to accept the Witches as physical beings. Later in the play, the Witches appear with their Queen, Hecate, in a scene without any human characters. If Macbeth had been hallucinating the Witches, he would need to be onstage for them to be seen. He is not, which is more proof that in the world of this play, they are real.
We can also contrast the treatment of the Witches to Banquo’s ghost. When Macbeth claims he sees the ghost, Lady Macbeth insists she doesn’t see anything, telling Macbeth “When all’s done/ You look but on a stool.” (3.4.) In the play, both Macbeth and his wife have hallucinations which they alone see, but the Witches are clearly visible to more than just Macbeth.