Who is Hecate? by Abraham LaBelle

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, a strange character named Hecate appears in a few scenes with the three witches. She appears to be the leader of the witches, as she was angry at them for including her in their meeting with Macbeth. Is it possible that Hecate is responsible for what happens to Macbeth?

Who even is Hecate?

In Greek mythology, Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft, necromancy, and sorcery. She is also known to be associated with crossroads, plants, poisons, and dogs. The witchcraft part made Hecate a well-known character in ancient witch hunts. This explains why Hecate was included in the play, Macbeth, as Shakespeare knew the goddess Hecate would be famous with the audience as a person of witchcraft.

Near the end of the play, Hecate basically states that Macbeth's downfall will be his overconfident belief that the prophecies will protect him. The witches later create the illusions which give Macbeth his remaining three prophecies, and ultimately lead to his death. From this, it seems as if Hecate is it overseer of the play, and decides the events and the outcome. But, Hecate is only given a small part in the play, and like sorcery, Hecate remains mysterious.