In Act I, Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches on the heath as the men are leaving a successful battle. The witches hail Macbeth with three titles—Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King. Macbeth already is the Thane of Glamis, so that is his appropriate title. He does not yet know that King Duncan has awarded him Cawdor, as well, since the former thane was a traitor and will be executed. He is naturally taken aback by the witches themselves and by these surprising predictions about his future.
It is this prophecy that Macbeth will rule Scotland one day as its king that spurs all of the action of the play. He immediately begins thinking about killing Duncan and actually commits the murder that same evening, when Duncan stays in Macbeth's castle. It is his confidence in the prophecy that makes him continue to kill to maintain his position (along with his paranoia that he may lose his throne).
Later in the play, he demands even more information from the witches, and three apparitions give further prophecies. These make him feel secure despite the mounting threat from Macduff and Malcolm, the rightful heir. In the end, Macbeth does not properly prepare for war because he believes he is invincible, and this leads to his downfall.
The three witches plant the demon seed of ambition in Macbeth's mind. They hold out to him the prospect of absolute power, which proves irresistible even to a man who's already achieved great power in Scotland thanks to his brave exploits on the field of battle.
As always, the witches's prophecy is deliberately vague; they don't come right out and tell Macbeth to kill Duncan. But they know that by prophesying that Macbeth will one day be king, they are giving him dangerous ideas. In that sense, it is indeed true to say that the witches influence Macbeth's fateful decision to murder Duncan and take the throne of Scotland for himself. But it ultimately requires a concerted act of will on Macbeth's part—ably assisted by his scheming, ambitious wife—to make that happen. The witches may have provided the spark for Macbeth's ambition, but it's Macbeth who fans the flames.
The witches play an important role in pushing Macbeth by influencing his lust for power. It is clear that they have a gift of foresight and prophecy. It also seems clear to the audience that they revel in playing the role of tricksters and pushing Macbeth to his eventual downfall. The witches first tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor and then eventually the king. This influences Macbeth's greed because once he does become thane, he is convinced that the rest of the prophecy will also come true.
They also tell Macbeth that he will be slain by someone not born of a woman. This leads Macbeth to believe that he will not be slain by anyone, and he walks into battle with Macduff with no fear. This was simply a play on words by the witches, as Macduff was born by means of a cesarean section. The witches toy with Macbeth and tease at his weaknesses, leading to his downfall.
In act one, scene three, Macbeth and Banquo initially meet the Three Witches, who offer both of them favorable prophecies. The witches refer to Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and "king hereafter." Shortly after offering their favorable prophecies, the witches disappear before Ross and Angus enter the scene. After Ross informs Macbeth that he has been given the title Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth begins having ambitious thoughts about becoming king of Scotland. Macbeth's ambitious nature is awakened and he begins thinking about murdering King Duncan. Macbeth says to himself,
If good, why do I yield to that suggestionWhose horrid image doth unfix my hairAnd make my seated heart knock at my ribs,Against the use of nature? Present fearsAre less than horrible imaginings . . .
Essentially, the witches' accurate prophecies ignite Macbeth's ambition and influence his decision to assassinate King Duncan after his wife persuades him to commit the crime. Both Macbeth and his ambitious wife also wish to attain the authority and wealth that goes along with being crowned king and queen. Greed is also a driving force that motivates Macbeth to become king, as he wishes to attain King Duncan's massive amount of wealth and property. After Macbeth immorally ascends to the throne, he rules Scotland like a tyrant and becomes obsessed with eliminating his political opponents in order to cement his legacy.
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