Shakespeare's Presentation of the Witches in Act One of Macbeth
When Shakespeare wrote this play in 1606 a large majority of people
were interested in witchcraft. King James was so fascinated by witches
that he wrote an article about them in 1957 called 'Demonologie´. So
this is why Shakespeare has made the witches and the witches´
prophecies play a major part in the storyline and overall feeling of
the play Macbeth.
In the time of Macbeth witches were not thought to be supernatural
beings themselves, but supposedly gained their powers by selling their
souls to Satan, and were then instructed and controlled by 'familiar
spirits´. The existence of witchcraft was recognised by English law -
an act of 1604 made the practice of it punishable by death - but it
was by no means unquestioned. There can be little doubt that most of
Shakespeare's audience would have believed in witches, and for the
purpose of the play, at least, Shakespeare also accepted their
reality.
The three witches in the tragedy Macbeth are introduced right at the
beginning of the play and the brief opening few scenes give an
immediate impression of mystery, horror and uncertainty. This is a
sign of things to come as witchcraft is used as one of the main themes
of the play. The witches create an atmosphere of evil and disorder.
In the opening scene the weather is thunder and lightning which is a
mirror image of the way the witches are perceived. When you think of
thunder and lightning you think of evil and destruction, this is
exactly the way witches are represented in this play. They are evil
and cause destruction in Macbeth's life.
Banquo says in act 1 scene 3 line 124:
"The instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest
trifles, to betrays in deepest consequence." He thinks and says bad
things of the witches. He calls them instruments of darkness and the
devil. He believes that these prophecies will only bring harm even
before anything begins to happen.
is that of witchcraft and evil. This is a primary theme in the play as
Since Shakespeare used beliefs of witchcraft that he had been exposed to, it is also very informational because it allows the reader to see insight on how people in the Renaissance era believed in witches. They believed that they could see into the future, create storms like when the witches stranded the sailor at sea, and make their selves invisible or disappear. It was also believed that witches could make potions and perform magic. The first lines of Macbeth are the witches having a conversation, so this automatically shows that witches and witchcraft are going to be a big focus of the tragedy. Witches and what they do are the main focus in Macbeth, and the theories of witches had a huge impact on this
The witches also kept repeating a quote that has a lot of meaning. They continued to say “foul is fair and fair is foul.” (I.i.12) This means that what seems right isn’t really right and what seems wrong isn’t really wrong. So the whole play is about false faces and how someone who seems normal and innocent isn’t really. The witches also seem to be an illusion. They are in a way human like, but at the same time they are also fake. They talked to Macbeth and told him three prophecies, which caused him to become greedy and kill King Duncan. The first time they told him what they saw was in Act 1. They said
William Shakespeare, in my opinion starts the play off with supernatural beliefs. The first of characters to speak are the three witches. I feel that the witches are a supernatural element that Shakespeare used. The introduction of the witches depicts the plan they had to meet Macbeth. I would describe the witches as a set of mysterious characters that plot mischief against Macbeth using things such as the apparitions. There predictions are what I think caused Macbeth to par...
The witches have a strong effect on Macbeth's character; they highly influence him in his accomplishments and awake his ambitions. They give Macbeth a false sense of security with their apparitions of truths. Instead they prove to be harmful for Macbeth who takes too much comfort and confidence in his interpretation of the truths. They are the ones who plant the actual idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth's mind. But if it were only the witches prophecies, then Macbeth surely would not have murdered the king. 'When you durst to do it, then you were a man,' (Macbeth, Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 7) Lady Macbeth's constant harassment pushed Macbeth and made him commit all this evil. When you reason things out by yourself you tend to now what is right and what is wrong, a conscience. But with the outside influence from the witches he thinks that that is his destiny and he must do everything to fulfill it. One can wonder if Macbeth ever had a chance of doing what was right after he met with the witches. He is overthrown and killed. Through his own ambitions, the ambition of his wife and the witches' prophesies, Macbeth has caused his own destruction and downfall. We can now clearly see that ambition not achieved through our own ability leads to destruction. 'Hail Thane of Glamis and of Cawdor and shalt be King hereafter'. (Act 1 Scene 3) These prophecies from three strangers are taken without question and probably without good judgment. Just the thought that he may be King clouds his thoughts and ambition takes over. The witches can predict the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, but they cannot control his destiny.
Powerful in nature and curious to the eye, the witches in Macbeth were hooks of fascination. One never knew what would come next when it came to the witches. They possessed a dark authority and supremacy unlike any other and the temptation to ignore them was unfeasible. They brought with them gloomy days and evil thoughts. The witches could draw you in and begin to almost play with your mind if you let them. This is what ultimately led to the down fall of Macbeth. Collectively, the witches in Macbeth acted as a catalyst for all of Macbeth’s actions.
The first example of Shakespeare’s use of night and darkness in the appearances of the three witches. The witch sisters are the main sources of evil within the play MacBeth. When the witches are in an act, storms or the darkness of the woods always accompanies them. This shows great evilness. " Thunder and lightning. Enter three witches." This is the opening scene description just before the introduction to the witches. This shows their evil nature as the are followed by rough storms in dark conditions. Another quote is " Fair is fowl and fowl is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air." This is another example of the disgusting and dirty, dark atmosphere around the witches. Then, towards the end of Hecate’s, queen of witches, speech, she says "Hark! I am called. My little spirit, see: Sits a foggy cloud and it stays for me." This shows a clear mental picture of the fogy, ugly conditions, which are prominent, when the witches are around. So this is a very good example of Shakespeare being able to link darkness and stormy conditions with evil.
When the play first opens we hear 3 strange witches standing in a field while it is thunder and lightening. They begin to chant spells and talk about their meeting with Macbeth as they vanish into thin air.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth there are two instances in which Macbeth comes into contact with the three witches. These two instances are located in Act 1 Scene 3 and in Act 4 Scene 1. In both scenes Macbeth is informed about his future. However, these two scenes are greatly different from each other in many ways.
The witches influence Macbeth in his achievements and awake his ambitions. They give him a wrong sense of security with their apportions of truths. The witches are the ones who made the idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth’s mind. They also told him that he would become thane of Cawdor and later would become king of Scotland and Macbeth wants to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more. By Sinel’s death I know I am the thane of Glamis; but how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman; and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor” (Shakespeare 312). Banquo is known as the real victim of the witches. After Banquo hears the prophecy of the witches that his sons will become kings he still does not believe them. He believes that he has eaten a root that is making him hallucinate and does not believe anything they tell him. (Shakespeare 313) Banquo says, “Are you sure we are talking about what we have seen here? Or have we eaten some plant root that makes us hallucinate.” Banquo also says to Macbeth: “but ‘tis strange; and oftentimes of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles. To betrays in deepest consequence” (Shakespeare 314). Shortly after they meet with the three witches they meet a messenger who tells Macbeth he is the Thane of Cawdor. When Banquo hears this he realizes the witches are right and
Impressions of Macbeth in Act 1 At the beginning of the play, Macbeth, the honourable Thane of Glamis, is the “bravest” soldier, who fights for the King without mercy. He is a very successful and a highly respected member, who is always loaded with honours and praise. His rank and nobility are of great value, and his fighting for King Duncan is magnificent, and of course courageous. (Shakespeare describing Macbeth’s courage in battle: “Like valour’s minion carved out his passage till he faced the slave” (Act 1, scene 1, line 19)). Macbeth fights bravely, in hope that he will be known as a “valour’s minion” – Macbeth strongly values success because he recognises the fame and new titles he will gain from the public.
The witches in Macbeth are very important in the plot and develop certain aspects of the play. They make greater the theatrical experience with images of darkness, thunder and lightning that make Macbeth the tragedy it is. Their actions also add to the play, dancing round the cauldron and chanting ‘Double, double…’. Their appearance as ‘dark hags’ adds mystery to the play.
'Fair is foul and foul fair' (1.1.?) This quote spoken by the three witches in the beginning of the story set the theme of the play. There are no rules, no moral guidelines. Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is a play in which the good turn evil. This archetypal transformation from the young, idealistic, promising character to a dark, evil one is apparent in hundreds of plays, novels, and stories throughout history. In this story, the events which begin Macbeth's downfall aren't actions, but words. Simple, mysterious predictions that change Macbeth's life forever. These predictions are made by the three witches, or weird sisters, the three characters who act as one who inflict Macbeth with his eternal pain. The Three Witches have personality traits of mysteriousness, prophetic, and manipulative
As the play begins, we are introduced to the witches. They speak in rhyming couplets, just as all supernatural elements in Shakespeare’s work do. This could have been to let the audience, which would have been aware of this technique, that the witches are in fact, or simply appear magical. The stage directions indicate “thunder and lightning,” every time the witches appear, this same stage direction is given throughout the play to set the intended atmosphere, this is pathetic fallacy.
In the opening scene of the play, the entrance of the three witches depicts the first presence of supernatural in Macbeth. The presence of the supernatural forces of the witches was accompanied by the dark, gloomy and thunderous ambience, perhaps functioning as a foreshadowing of future events that involves evil, wickedness and darkness. This is important as it gives the audience an idea of what might happen later in the play. For example, we see that later on in the play, Macbeth turned evil and wicked, killing an old and honourable King Duncan and a loyal friend, Banquo. I take particular note of the significance of darkness as it was later used by Macbeth when he calls upon the "seeling Night" (Act III. Scene ii. Line 46) which `makes clear vision impossible', as a way to cover up his evil deeds. Foreshadowing of `evilness' which is also a theme in the play is also created when the witches, before leaving the first scene, cried in unison that "Fair is foul and foul is fair" (Act I. Scene ii. Line 11). This line suggests and gives the audience a foreshadow that ...