Three is a mystical number and a very important one in Macbeth, one of Shakespeare's many plays infused with supernatural elements. There are three witches or weird sisters who make two sets of three prophecies to Macbeth. Macbeth plots three separate murders before inviting Macduff to lay on in their final decisive battle. The third time's the charm, we say, even today, in a casual version of an incantation. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
Although his birth date was not recorded, he was baptized on April 26, 1564, meaning he was likely born in the preceding week. His birthday is traditionally celebrated on April 23. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582. and they had two daughters and a son, the latter of whom died in childhood. As the primary writer and a performer with the Lord Chamberlain's Men Theatre Company, Shakespeare was well established in London theatre when James I, James VI of Scotland, became King of England in 1603. The Lord Chamberlain's Men enjoyed success under Elizabeth I's reign, and when James I was crowned, the King formally took the company into his service.
The company then changed its name to the King's Men, and were guests at the coronation. His theater career and investments had made his family financially comfortable by the time Shakespeare died in Stratford on April 23, 1616. He was buried in Holy Trinity Church on April 25, 1616. Macbeth is based loosely on actual historical events. The actual Macbeth ruled Scotland from 1040 until 1057 and killed his predecessor Duncan I. However, the killing occurred on the battlefield, not in Macbeth's castle.
Further, Macbeth was considered a fair and law-oriented king, not a tyrant as in the play. Shakespeare's version of Scottish history was likely inspired by Raphael Holinshed, who published his Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1577. Holland Shed's version includes the Weird Sisters and makes Banquo a co-conspirator with Macbeth. The House of Stuart, James I's family line, claimed Banquo among its ancestors. This is likely the reason Shakespeare changed Banquo into an honorable victim of his friend's treachery and why the play emphasizes Banquo's role as the father of many kings.
Further, the inclusion of witches was likely added in consideration of James I's condemnation in laws against witchcraft. Today, the play carries significant superstition, and many performers consider it to be cursed. Macbeth opens with Macbeth defeating the treacherous Macdonwald and the Thane of Cawdor, who began a rebellion against King Duncan of Scotland.
On his way back from the battle, three witches appear and tell Macbeth and Banquo that Macbeth will become king and Banquo's descendants will be a long line of kings. After Duncan promotes Macbeth as the new Thane of Cawdor, He and his wife, believing the prophecy, decide to kill Duncan and take the throne. Macbeth kills Duncan in his sleep, and the couple frame his guards.
Duncan's sons flee Scotland out of fear, and Macbeth ascends to the throne. Seeing his friend Banquo, whose descendants are to be kings, as a threat, Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son. They kill Banquo, but his son gets away. At court, Macbeth is driven mad at the sight of Banquo's ghost. and he requests to see the witches again.
At the meeting with the witches, Macbeth receives three additional prophecies. Beware Macduff, no one born to a woman can harm him, and his demise will come when a forest moves to his castle. This makes him feel invincible. Meanwhile, the thanes and lords suspect something is going on. Macduff goes to England and convinces Malcolm, Duncan's son, to fight Macbeth for the throne.
Macbeth orders the murderers to kill Macduff's wife. and son. At this time, Lady Macbeth goes mad with guilt and dies. Macbeth thinks life is meaningless.
Malcolm leads his troops to Scotland. Macbeth, convinced of his invincibility, soon finds all of the prophecies come true. Malcolm's men use branches from the forest to obscure the number of troops fighting alongside them, and it is revealed that Macduff was born from a Caesarean section. Macduff kills Macbeth on the battlefield. and Malcolm takes his rightful place on the throne.
Blood represents the guilt that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth share after killing Duncan. Ghosts represent the way past actions come back to haunt the present and future. Storms symbolize unrest, both politically and socially, foreshadowing treason against a ruler. Macbeth's tragic flaw and the driving force behind the play's murders is ambition.
Lady Macbeth rejects the traditional feminine role opting for ruthlessness. Prophecies act as destiny. Macbeth freely acts in accordance with them. Characters who are loyal in the play are rewarded, and those who are not are punished. Even if you have never read the play before now, you might have realized that you quote from it every time you play it being a witch by saying, double, double, toil and trouble, fire, burn, and cauldron bubble.
Like Banquo's ghost haunts Macbeth, The weird, mystical language of Shakespeare's play about them haunts us still, four centuries after his death.