eth thinks that he must kill the current king to become king himself. (http://www.planetpapers.com/count.cgi?ID=215) Without the prophecy, even Lady Macbeth probably would not have thought of doing such a thing. It is not that the desire for Macbeth to become king would not have existed if the witches had not talked to Macbeth. The desire existed in both Macbeth and his wife naturally in their position as nobles. The significance of the prophecy is that it brought this desire to the foreground, and made it reality. The witches told Macbeth that he would be king. He took this statement for granted. For Macbeth, it suddenly changed from whether or not he would be king to how he would get to be king. And, of course, Lady Macbeth’s main reasoning in praise of the murder of the King is the fulfillment of prophecy and Macbeth’s own destiny. Without the witches to suggest the major course of action, would Macbeth ever have been so bold as to pursue his ambition? It is doubtful that he would have, with no assurance, and Macbeth would have simply been another noble. The witches’ prophecy is self-fulfilling, and could not come about had it not been made. On another point, the witches continue to influence Macbeth much later on in the play than we see evidence of either Duncan or Lady Macbeth. The witches know that Macbeth will be paranoid and kill those about him. Hecate herself says: "And you all know, security is mortals’ chiefest enemy." (Act 3, Scene 6, Lines 32-33). And the witches come to Macbeth again, speaking of his future and his downfall. Three apparitions appear before him. The first tells him to beware Macduff, who eventually leads the forces that defeat Macbeth. The second tells him "Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." (Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 90-91). The third apparition tells him "Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall co...
