When macbeth discovers how macduff entered the world (act 5 scene 8) he also discovers that the witches are ""juggling fiends"" who have given him a false sense of security. why do you think shakespeare shows macbeth taken in by the witches prophecy? what might shakespeare be applying by macbeth's character? what might shakespeare be applying by the witch's power? is he suggesting the macbeth might be a victim of mysterious evil forces?

Firstly, Shakespeare makes a point in Macbeth's confidence, due to his full trust in the witches' prophecy he believed that he was invencible. So, when he sees that he can actually be defeated this is something that the audience is expecting to see, so it adds to the dramatic effect of the play. Secondly, I believe that tragic heroes, no matter what they do, we always feel some sort of sympathy for them. In this case, I believe that Shakespeare is trying to show his weakness (he trusted someone he shouldn't, he was way too confident, all of this was the result of his ambition that completely blinded his judgement)

As it has been previously stated, Shakespeare was trying to show Macbeth that he placed his trust in the wrong place (this had also a didactic purpose for the audience). Moreover, I believe that this is when his eyes are unfolded, ambition falls, and he realized that he was a puppet of the witches. He didn't question her words and he did everything they expected him to do. Bear in mind that in elizabethan/jacobean times, Witches were believed to be plotting agaist the king (since the king was the representation of God on earth, and witches the loyal servants of the devil).

It is shown that they don't actually have power, rather they know a lot of information and they use that information to manipulate people like Macbeth.

Defenitly, although he is guilty because he did everything he shouldn't, but still we can see that the witches manipulated him. They kindle the fire and Macbeth did the rest. So the fault is equally diveded, in my opinion.

today we'd use social media to quickly spread a controversial idea, but in the eighteenth century, the printed pamphlet was highly effective. and thomas paine took full advantage of it. on january 9, 1776, when paine published his pamphlet, "common sense," he wanted to push the american people toward independence from britain. it ultimately ignite the american revolution. thomas paine argued that the monarchy was evil and should be rejected as a form of government. to underscore his point, he cited the bible to argue his case -- in judges 8: 22-23: "the israelites said to gideon, 'rule over us, you and your son and your ' gideon told them, 'i will not rule over you. the lord will rule over you'" (nrsv).

the god   the goddess of salt water, of fresh water   yet more powerful and perfect.