How does Act 1, Scene 3 present the changing character of Macbeth?

In Act 1, Scene 3, we are reintroduced to the withered sisters, gathered on a heath near Forres waiting for Macbeth, who arrives with Banquo from the battle camp. This is when the prophecies begin, with the first witch chanting All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! the second witch chanting All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! and the last prophecy from the third witch being All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! Macbeth is indubitably confused and stunned by the witches claims and Banquo tells him not to believe what the witches tell him. The witches later continue with their claims, but this time, its Banquos turn. They tell Banquo that Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none and then disappear. Later, Angus and Ross (King Duncans messengers) arrive and affirm that Macbeth is indeed the Thane of Cawdor as a result of his success. Macbeth is puzzled as he believes the previous thane is still alive and asks why do you dress me in borrow'd robes? Angus confirms that the previous Thane of Cawdor has committed treason towards King Duncan and is to be killed. Both noblemen are agitated to know that the witches prophecies have been true so far, yet nervous due to the idea that they will be tricked to commit treason towards King Duncan. Macbeth vows to let things happen as they come Before the witches disappear, Macbeth is eager to find out more; Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more. This very moment changes the readers perception of Macbeth being a nobleman, whos faithful towards authority. It also allows the readers mind to think about his desires and resilience; for him to become King of Scotland, or even Thane of Glamis, he will have to commit some sort of treason. The idea that hes willing to hear more from these non-inhabitants o' the earth, and yet are on't? indicates that hes keen to know more, as the idea of becoming thane or even king enlivens him and stimulates ideas.

Arguably, he may just be curious and uses the virtues of being an army general. After being told his and Banquos predictions and when they witches are ready to leave, he begins to use imperatives and commands the witches to tell him more: Speak, I charge you before they disappear. This illuminates Macbeths noble and brave traits, as he demands the witches to elaborate on these ridiculous prophecies. How can a man like Macbeth, who has just defeated the enemy, dare to even think of betraying his comrades? This supports the idea of Macbeth being an ultimately gallant person.

After being told the news that he is officially the new Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth is confused since the previous thane is supposed to be alive. He is told that the previous thane is going to die due to committing treason. Macbeth is ecstatic, not only because he has been crowned as the new Thane of Glamis, but also because two out of the three witches prophecies have been correct. Macbeth asks Banquo do you not hope your children shall be kings? which proves that Macbeth is the one taking their predictions seriously. The witches have spurred his dark and inner evil and their true predictions have contributed to the ambitious tyrant inside him.

Macbeths soliloquy is a manifestation of his ambition; its here the famished monster inside of him grows bigger and bigger. However, he is still confused and even scared of the thoughts hes having: If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair. The punctuation Shakespeare has used in Macbeths soliloquy also support this idea since there are commas in the middle and at the end of certain lines, which ascertains this notion of Macbeth being bewildered by the thoughts, imaginings and ideas hes having. This proves that Macbeth isnt necessarily completely evil. Macbeth even says that the remaining fears from the battle are overshadowed by his horrible imaginings: Present fears, Are less than horrible imaginings which proves how anxious he really is. The thoughts and visualizations hes having are completely foreign and alien to him; he has most likely never thought of betraying his king before the witches prophecies. Macbeth is frightened because the thoughts and ideas hes thinking of have never crossed his mind.

However, one may also look at it from another perspective; Macbeth must have some sort of evil inside him if hes beginning to justify, yet alone think, of committing an act of injustice. He tries to justify his thoughts and imaginings: if ill, why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is in a trance of desire; hes reached the level in which hes determined to justify anything to get what he wants. The statement I am Thane of Cawdor in particular stands out because its straightforward. Its as if hes affirming one of the witches prophecies to himself, like he needs to be reminded again that what they have been saying so far is truth. He may be doing this so he wont be engulfed by his humane conscience and starve the hungry thoughts hes having.

In Scene 1, Act 3, Macbeths character goes through a rollercoaster ride; from being a noble man who has just defeated the enemy, to a curious man who is determined to believe the prophecies, to frightened man who has thoughts more horrific than the battle he has just fought, to a ruthless man who will justify any wrongdoing. Macbeths evolution of character foreshadows the play to an extent, as the audience have been introduced to a completely different side of Macbeth; a Macbeth he wasnt even aware of existed. But this juxtaposes with Macbeths human qualities; he isnt entirely ready to do what he needs to, to become king: If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir. This proves that, even though he may be battling with his own demons inside, he wants to be crowned without his input. Macbeths human qualities make the following scenes unpredictable; will he or wont he commit treason?