Practical Prophecies

Practical Prophecies

Prophecies are things of great power. They possess the ability to build an individual up, but also the ability to destroy them. They are predictions of events that most frequently in literature come true, but also are often times incorrect in the estimation of certain incidents and occurrences. However, sometimes in literature it is debated whether or not a prophecy is fulfilled the way it is described to be. One example of this is in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In this play, Macbeth is told by three witches that he shall ascend the throne and take the prestigious title of king. This drives him to attempt to fulfill the prophecy himself, as he is power hungry and driven by greed. Later he takes the title of king and again visits the witches to receive more prophecies for himself. But are all these prophecies sincere and truthful, or are they just part of a sick game played by supernatural, conniving enchantresses? After looking at the prophecies once again, it can be seen that the prophecies actually do come true, and the witches were in fact telling the truth.

The first prophecy by the witches claims that Macbeth will ascend to the throne after Duncan, and that though Banquo will not become king himself, his descendants will do so in lieu of him. This is known for Macbeth after the witches say, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (I, iii, 51-53). Now for Banquo, we learn that his descendants will take the throne when the witches say, “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none,” which means that though he himself will not be a king, his descendants shall become kings (I, iii, 70). The first one for Macbeth is simple because in the play, Macbeth chooses to attempt to speed up his prophecy by murdering the current King of Scotland, Duncan, in hopes that he will become king faster. Eventually, after murdering many...