The witches in Macbeth play a critical role so they have been interpreted in many ways; for instance, they have been viewed as reflecting Macbeth"s unconsciousness or inner state. In this paper, I regard them as witches who really did exist in that era and focus on the magic that the witches practiced.
I explore the magic in terms of Renaissance occult philosophy. The most important idea of Renaissance occult philosophy is the affirmation of the power of human beings to control both their own personalities and the world around them. In Ficino’s philosophical system, humanity is important because of our central position in the universe. He founded a magical tradition through his own works and his translations of Hermetic and Neoplatonic texts. Pico introduced cabala into the sources of occult lore that Ficino had used. The aim of Pico’s cabalist magic is the redemption of both humankind and the natural world.
However, these occult philosophers were engaged in a conflict with religious authorities because they sought truth outside the bounds of established views. Some critics, such as Mebane and Yates, argue that the witch hunt was the result of the conflict between occult philosophers and Christianity leaders and monarchs. Among the occult philosophers, Agrippa plays the most significant role in causing the witch hunt because in Agrippa’s book, Occult Philosophy, the heterodox aspects of Renaissance magical theory frequently appeared.
The magic appearing in Macbeth is closely related to occult philosophy. The witches in Macbeth practice weather magic and can transfigure their own bodies and, according to occult philosophy’s magical theory, such acts are possible, since the magicians receive supernatural powers when the soul of the magicians unite with God. Occult philosophers also believe numbers and words have virtues. In Macbeth, the witches use numbers and words to curse people and society. Using dead body parts is one way of performing witchcraft. The witches use dead bodies which are not buried in consecrated ground, which, Agrippa says, have affinity with evil spirits, so they can be used for wicked purposes. By using the dead bodies, the witches practice necromancy; they conjure up spirits and make predictions upon Macbeth’s request.
In this play, Macbeth destroys the world around him and ruins his own life. It appears that the main reason of his destruction is the prophecy made by the witches. Occult philosophers believe that human beings control their fate and reform the corrupted world by using magic. In contrast, in this play, it is noticed that magic contributes neither to controlling one"s own destiny nor to making the better world.