The witches are vital elements in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', not just to make it successful in Jacobean times, but also to add depth and atmosphere to the play. They are the root of disorder and are the trigger factor for the chaos that unfolds throughout the play. Shakespeare considered their role very carefully and included them for important reasons. In 1604, a year after he came to the English throne, James passed many laws on witchcraft, having …showed first 75 words of 995 total…

…showed last 75 words of 995 total…disappear when they had been physically present just moments ago. In conclusion, it is clear that there were two main reasons why Shakespeare included the witches in 'Macbeth'. Firstly the witches are a central element and are vital for creating an atmosphere and basis for the play, and secondly witchcraft was an important issue for people in the early 17th century and was a main interest of the king at the time, James 1 of England.