Staging of Hell Blog

Contrary to Terry Eagleton's statements I have always felt the Witches to have much less of a direct impact on the piece and that they merely act as enablers guiding Macbeth to act upon his unconscious desires. I guess this does mean that I agree with the Freudian analysis that they act as Macbeth's ID to his ego however I do question the concept that they are somehow representative of a deep unconscious dilemma within Shakespeare somehow questioning his own belief system. Nor do I feel they are of enough consequence to be considered the heroines of the piece.

Whilst Eagleton claims that the witches "expose a reverence for hierarchical social order for what it is" I honestly believe that they, as characters, do not care enough for us to be making such a distinction. The witches exist outside of the confines of regular society and act entirely based upon what their powers reveal to them. I feel that they are merely acting for their own amusement and that, in truth, they care not what the consequences of their actions are and as such they cannot be considered any kind of 'hero'. A hero makes sacrifices and takes risks to achieve a goal, the witches do not.

Even if you feel their motives are of no importance I still don't think that they can be examined as heroes to those who seek the destruction of the status quo. Yes their actions result in a vast power switch but only one which exists within the already established hierarchy. The nobles are still at the top, just a different set of nobles. Nothing really changes in the world of the play. At the beginning one King is in power, he is murdered, replaced by another, who is then also killed and replaced by another. The witches serve to change nothing. 

For me the biggest social comment that Macbeth makes is the manner in which within feudalism, and even capitalism today, nothing really changes. No matter who the people in charge are the hierarchies will always remain the same just with someone else at the top. If you were to analyse the play from a Marxist perspective then this is the only manner in which it can be done.