Blog Entry 3.1. Macbeth and three witches

Macbeth shows that as human being the craving for power can be irresistible. The royal general, Macbeth, and his wife assassinated King Duncan to take over the seat of power.  As we see in the picture, there are Macbeth and three witches who are surrounding Macbeth, whispering something into his ear. This picture is interesting because it is a dramatic moment in the play that Macbeth’s life attains a new era from a general to a king as well as a betrayer. The gesture of the witch on the bottom right hand side in the picture can be considered as the witch is saying something wicked such as an incantation or a curse into his brain. Therefore, Macbeth in the picture seems to scream and suffer from being under a spell.

A general usually indicates royalty, power, or braveness in terms of a symbol in literature. Generals go to the front and sometimes are killed in battle. They sacrifice their lives for their king, country, dignity, or honor. However, it is paradoxical that they sometimes betray their kings or countries just for a desire for power. Since the position of a general is close to the top of power, which is just right next to a king, generals are likely to fall into temptation for the top position. The allure of becoming a king from a lower position is a common writing theme throughout many kinds of literature.

 There are very interesting gestures in the picture such as whispering and covering one’s eyes. First of all, whispering indicates that there is something important, usually suspicious, going on at the moment between the characters. In the picture, one of the witches is whispering into Macbeth’s ear about his destiny. After hearing the prophecies, Macbeth’s life has completely changed from a royal general to a murderer and betrayer, which ultimately leads him to his death. Another important symbolic gesture in the picture is the act of covering Macbeth’s eyes. People cannot judge appropriately or logically and do not know what is going on around them if their eyes are covered. Since Macbeth is experiencing those two significant activities in the picture, it is evident that his life is not going to be the same as before.

A witch is one of the interesting characters in literature. The image of a witch is usually wicked and tricky and she brings about dramatic events to a hero or a heroine. Mostly, a witch plays a role as a “destructive unconscious force: for example, a repressed part of yourself (Dream Dictionary).” Since the archetype of a witch is negative, once she shows up or approaches the main characters, people would imagine that something negative will happen to the characters. As we see in the picture above, three witches are performing some sort of rituals that Macbeth will undergo to result in serious changes in his life. The three witches are covering Macbeth’s eyes so that he cannot see what is going on around him. One of the witches seems to cast a spell on Macbeth.
             Another interesting archetype in the picture is the number of witches. There are three witches surrounding Macbeth. Kent and Maria Carr state that “the number three represents unity… (Numbers as Archetypes)” Unity can be regarded omnipotent that a human being like Macbeth cannot go against it. It is the same ideas as people pray to the holy trinity- the father, the son, and the holy spirit. The three features are invincible that nothing can resist them. Three witches are blocking Macbeth’s view and surrounding him completely in the picture. It implies that Macbeth cannot resist the wicked power and cannot fight against his fate.

Works cited

“Dream Dictionary.” Myths-Dreams-Symbols. 22 Nov. 2003. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.mythsdreamssymbols.com/ddw.html>

Carr, Kent and Carr, Maria. “Numbers as Archetypes.” HOME PAGE OF KENT & MARIA CARR, PH.D. 2003 Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://www.thearchetypalconnection.com/Numbers%20as%20Archetypes.htm>