Macbeth - Tragedy or Satire

... vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him.

The witches have spoken again, with unforeseeable truth. Macbeth leaves the dreaded sisters, blinded by his own ambition. Let the players play! He is assured that he is indestructible, for how could Macduff, a man of woman born, hurt him? How could the Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane Hill?

Preposterous! Macbeth leads on, confident, bold, and unvictimized. He flashes his power, exalts himself, and fears no one, not even himself. He no longer cares that he does not sleep. Act 5 Scene 3 opens with Macbeth:

Bring me no more reports. Let them fly all!

Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane,

I cannot taint with fear. What's the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know All mortal consequences have pronounced me thus:

"Fear not, Macbeth. No man that's born of woman Shall e'er have power upon thee."

Then fly, false thanes,

And mingle with the English epicures! The mind I sway by and the heart I bear Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.

Having possession of all the confidence in the world, or at least thinking he does, Macbeth proceeds in a boisterous manner. His fate, once prophesied to him, has now acquired complete control. He has the titles promised him. He has found protection in the strength of witch's words.

How can the reader pity such a fool? The only thing to do is laugh at him, for it can be sure that these prophecies whic ...