Throughout the play, Macbeth changes from a noble man to a merciless tyrant thirsting for power, due to the influences of those around him. From the overt sway of the Three Witches' supernatural precognition of the future, to the subtle persuation of Lady Macbeth, his honorable disposition is slowly corrupted to that of a barbarous dictator, keen only on maintaining and progressing his power. By the second half of the play, his paranoia is so deeply ingrained that he seeks to distance himself from anyone who could threaten his reign - even those he once held in high regard.