- That he would become Thane of Cawdor
- That he would become King of Scotland
- That he would be defeated by a man "not of woman born"
Macbeth was initially skeptical of these predictions, but he was ultimately convinced by his ambition to pursue them. The prophecies played a significant role in Macbeth's downfall, as they led him to commit murder and other atrocities in order to secure his power.
The witches' predictions were not entirely accurate, however. Macbeth did become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, but he was not defeated by a man "not of woman born". Instead, he was killed by Macduff, who was born by caesarean section. This suggests that the witches' prophecies were not entirely reliable, and that Macbeth may have been led astray by his own ambition and paranoia.