Witches and Evil in Macbeth No discussion of evil in Shakespeare's play Macbeth would be satisfying without considering its most famous symbols of evil: the coven of witches whose interactions with Macbeth play such a role. essential role in his reflection on his own life. Banquo and Macbeth recognize them as something supernatural, part of the landscape but not fully human in it. They have malicious intentions and prophetic powers. And yet, they are not active agents in the sense that they do nothing other than talk and offer visions and potions. Witches have no power of compulsion. If we are to explore the significance of these witches, we must do so by treating them as vital poetic symbols in the play, essential manifestations of the moral atmosphere of Macbeth's world. The most obvious interpretation of witches is to see them as manifestations of evil in the world. They exist to tempt and torment people, to challenge their confidence in themselves and their society. They work on Macbeth by equivocation, that is, by ambiguous promises of a future state. These promises come true, but not in the way the victim initially believed. The witches thus appeal to Macbeth and Banquo's desire to control their own future, to direct it towards desirable ends. They have no power to compel belief, but they can obviously appeal strongly to an already existing inclination to impose one's will on events to shape the future according to one's deepest desires. Banquo's importance in the play arises, in large part, from his different response. to these witches. Like Macbeth, he is strongly tempted, but he does not let his desires prevail over his moral prudence: “But it is strange, And often to win us to our detriment The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles to betray our interests. deepest consequence” (1.3.120-124). Macbeth cannot act on this conscience because his desires (kept alive by his active imagination and the urging of his wife) constantly impinge on his moral sensibilities. Therefore, he seizes the news that he has just been named Thane of Cawdor, using this information to tell him what he most wants to believe, namely that witches tell the truth: "This supernatural solicitation cannot be bad, can't be good So sick, why did it give me serious success.?"