The nature of the three witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth is a controversial topic. Mildred Tonge suggests in her essay Black Magic and Miracles in Macbeth that witches represent women who serve a dark power, most likely Satan, or even that they are a form of Satan himself (Tonge, p. 1). Other critics propose that the three are figments of Macbeth's imagination: apparitions he has conjured up to provide justification for killing Duncan, a thought he had entertained long before the play began. However, careful observation of the text suggests that witches are much more connected to humanity than appears at first glance. Although they are not illusions of Macbeth's mind, nor evil beings in and of themselves, the three witches are external manifestations of human vice, appearing for the purpose of providing temptation to the unwary, giving voice to their secretly abominable desires. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The witches make major appearances twice in Macbeth, both in Act 1 Scene 3 and in Act 4 Scene 1: two pivotal moments in the title character's life development. The first time they arrive it is to approach Macbeth and Banquo returning from the war. It is at this point, when Macbeth is arguably more powerful than ever in his life, that the witches decide to tempt him. If ever there was a time when his political ambition would be at the forefront of his mind, it is now. His success had brought him recognition and moral support from his colleagues and superiors, and had earned him a reputation far beyond that of other men. The strange sisters approach him and prophesy that he is destined to become a king, and Banquo, a father to kings. They tempt them both with the prospect of gaining great power, leading them to the crossroads of morality. Banquo continues on the path of loyalty and justice, while Macbeth takes a darker path. Despite hearing the prophecy, Banquo decides to leave fate alone. Macbeth's mind, however, is immediately tormented by the thought of killing Duncan, much to his disquiet: "Why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose hideous image loosens my hair" (1.4.137-138). The witches' divinations take hold of Macbeth so easily, because ascending to the rank of king through regicide was a thought that Macbeth had already entertained unconsciously. By voicing his aspirations aloud and predicting his success, they give Macbeth the justification he needs to turn his thoughts into actions. So he uses the witches and the fate they prophesied for him as an excuse to delve into the swamps of murder and corruption, so he doesn't have to acknowledge his own immorality. This is demonstrated by the fact that Macbeth supposedly kills Duncan in order to fulfill the prophecy and fulfill his destiny, but thereafter Macbeth scorns destiny numerous times, in an attempt to subvert it. Witches are, as Banquo later states, "tools of darkness [who] tell us truths" (1.4.126-128). They act as the instrument through which Macbeth is able to see himself. They reveal to Macbeth not only what awaits him in the future, but also the inner structure of man himself. Furthermore, the three witches are projections of Macbeth's mindscape. “[The witches] simply betray Macbeth by reflecting him, and in this way resemble [a] dark mirror” (Favila, p. 17). Although witches are dour and mischievous creatures, they show no evidence of being inherently evil. They simply parallel the qualities of the man upon whom they turned theirs,. 2014.