Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
I never did understand the point of the witches in Macbeth. They make great characters for spoofs and so on, but their importance/relevance to the play itself? ... It leaves me feeling rather short.
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In the early 17th century, when the play was written, belief in witchcraft was almost universal. You really can't judge the play by the standards of today's society.
The question, though, as to whether the witches made Macbeth a murderer, or whether they simply foretold something that he was going to do anyway is one that's been asked many times. There is no clearcut answer - one can find arguments to support both sides.