In Act 1, scene 3, Shakespeare presents the witches to the audience using rhyming language, creating a rhythm and beat that conveys evil coming. By combining the presence of witches with similar themes in the world of Macbeth, Shakespeare used witchcraft to signal to his audience that Scotland was in a vulnerable and unsettled state. Some of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays such as Macbeth, Hamlet, The Tempest, and Julius Caesar were very much influenced by witchcraft and the supernatural.
The witches’ appearance at the start of the play in the middle of a thunderstorm sets the tone for what is to follow. The history of the witches in Macbeth dates back to 1606, when magic and devilry were on people’s minds. In Macbeth, the witches symbolize the presence of evil as a force, both supernatural and physically manifested (symbolized by the thunderstorm).
The witches’ prophecies also affect Lady Macbeth, albeit indirectly when Macbeth writes his wife. The role and portrayal of supernatural elements in Shakespeare’s Macbeth are critical, influencing the characters’ actions. The witches’ beards, bizarre potions, and rhymed speech make them seem slightly ridiculous, like caricatures of the supernatural.
In Act 1 Scene 3, the witches are distinguished from other characters in the play, as they appear as otherworldly, threatening figures. Shakespeare may have wanted them to represent real witches or evil in human form. Through connecting witches to regicide, Shakespeare is clearly demonstrating that witchcraft is “infernal”, and thus Shakespeare is evidencing his allegiance to it.
📹 Character Analysis: The Witches in ‘Macbeth’
In today’s video, I look at the witches in ‘Macbeth’. Sources referred to: Samuel Johnson: ‘MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS on …
How is witchcraft presented in Macbeth?
The witches congregate around a cauldron, a symbol of witchcraft, and hurl assorted malevolent objects into it. The witches then proceed to cast a spell, the exact nature of which is unclear. However, it is evident that their intentions are unwise.
What words describe the witches in Macbeth?
Banquo initially characterizes the Witches as conventional hags, emaciated and untamed, otherworldly creatures with sunken lips, chapped fingers, and beards, as delineated in Act 1, Scene 3.
What act do the witches appear in Macbeth?
In Act 1, Scene 3, the three witches greet Macbeth as “Thane of Glamis”, “Thane of Cawdor”, and “king hereafter”. They promise Banquo that he will father kings and disappear. Ross and Angus arrive with news that the king has named Macbeth “Thane of Cawdor”. Macbeth contemplates killing Duncan to become “king hereafter” as the witches have called him.
In the first scene, a sailor’s wife has chestnuts in her lap, and Macbeth asks her to give her chestnuts. The runnion cries, and Macbeth tells her husband is gone to Aleppo, but she will sail in a sieve and do everything she can. She also offers to give Macbeth a wind and drain him dry as hay.
In the second scene, Macbeth shows off her possessions, including a pilot’s thumb and a drum. The Weïrd Sisters, hand in hand, dance in a circle, and Macbeth goes about dancing in a circle, tying posters of the sea and land. The witches promise Banquo that Macbeth will father kings, but they disappear soon after.
How does Shakespeare present Macbeth’s reaction to the witches in Act 1 Scene 3?
Macbeth is astonished by the prophecies of the witches and ponders the possibility of becoming king. Banquo cautions Macbeth to exercise caution, suggesting that the witches may have employed the truth to prompt Macbeth’s transgression, as they frequently exploit their prophecies for personal gain.
How does Shakespeare present Macbeth’s relationship with the witches in the play?
The Witches are unable to kill Duncan, but they are capable of influencing the men around him. This could result in Macbeth becoming a puppet and vehicle for evil, as the Witches seek to advance their own malevolent intentions. The prophecies inspire Macbeth to pursue his ambitions and take action.
How do the witches in Macbeth manipulate Macbeth?
The witches prophesied chaos and planted evil seeds in Macbeth’s mind, but Macbeth chose to make the choices that determined his fate. He was not forced to kill Duncan or any of his other victims, putting an end to his callous persona. Factors influenced Macbeth’s decision to assassinate King Duncan, which ultimately broke down his conscience and led to an unwise decision to kill the King. The consequences were disastrous, as Macbeth began to regret his actions shortly after the deed was done. The quote expresses the beginning of Macbeth’s callous persona and the consequences of his actions.
How do the witches corrupt Macbeth?
The witches in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth provide prophecies about their future, motivating Macbeth through power and greed. Avarice influences Macbeth and other characters to become corrupt throughout the play. Lady Macbeth, who comes up with the murder plan after learning about the prophecy, shows her dark and corrupt thoughts as well. She justifies killing Duncan as good and shames him into committing horrible deeds, challenging his masculinity.
Lady Macbeth is not the only one who becomes corrupted; she drags Macbeth down with her. She pretends that guilt doesn’t bother her, telling her husband that he is weak. She tries to hide her corruption through lies and by putting Macbeth down, but ultimately falters, realizing her guilt and driving herself insane.
Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. By analyzing his hallucinations, it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. He is never satisfied with himself and feels the need to keep committing crime to keep his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate, the more he tends to run into his fate.
Power does not automatically corrupt, as in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth rises to power in a corrupt fashion. When he achieves his power, he must maintain it by killing anyone who could take it from him. Malcom, son of King Duncan, takes away Macbeth’s power but instead rewards his companions. It is not power itself that corrupts, but the method used to achieve it.
What is Macbeth shown by the witches?
Macbeth is reassured by the witches who show him a line of kings all in the image of Banquo. After the witches disappear, Macbeth discovers that Macduff has fled to England and decides to kill Macduff’s family immediately. The three witches greet Macbeth as “Thane of Glamis”, “Thane of Cawdor”, and “king hereafter”. They promise Banquo that he will father kings and disappear. Ross and Angus arrive with news that the king has named Macbeth “Thane of Cawdor”. Macbeth contemplates killing Duncan to become “king hereafter” as the witches have called him.
In the story, Macbeth is surrounded by witches who show him a line of kings all in the image of Banquo. They promise Banquo that he will father kings, and they disappear. Ross and Angus arrive with news that the king has named Macbeth “Thane of Cawdor”. Macbeth contemplates killing Duncan to become “king hereafter”.
In the story, the witches show Macbeth a line of kings in the image of Banquo, and Macbeth decides to kill Duncan to become “king hereafter”.
How does Shakespeare present the witches in Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1?
In Act 4, Macbeth is enchanted by witches who cast a spell around a cauldron. They show him three apparitions: an armed head warning Macbeth, a bloody child claiming no woman will harm him, and a crowned child holding a tree predicting Macbeth’s unstoppable victory until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill comes against him. Macbeth questions if Banquo’s descendants will reign, and the witches advise against it.
An apparition of eight kings follows Banquo’s ghost, and Macbeth is terrified and angry. Lennox arrives with news that Macduff has fled to England. Macbeth vows to kill his family, including his wife, babes, and all unfortunate souls in his line.
Lady Macduff worries about her husband’s departure, but Ross reassures her that Macduff is noble, wise, and judicious. She tells her son that his father is dead and was a traitor, but he knows it is not true. A messenger advises her to flee with her family, but she refuses, saying she has done no harm. Murderers arrive, and Macduff is killed by his son and wife.
How does Shakespeare present the witches in Scene 1?
In Shakespeare’s play, “The Witches,” the opening lines place significant emphasis on the characters of the witches, employing parallelism in the paradoxical phrase “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”
What are the three witches physical description in Macbeth?
The Witches of Macbeth, described by William Shakespeare as “withered”, chapped fingers, and skinny lips, are depicted with beards. These beards were historically regarded with curiosity and awe. Shakespeare’s plays continue to be performed worldwide, and this Notable Note pays tribute to the great English playwright by examining the dermatologic aspects of three of his most colorful characters: the Witches of Macbeth.
📹 Full Analysis of The Witches in Macbeth (Mr Salles) Grade 9
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, so I can keep prices to my guides very low. They are much more …
At 28:56, I like this interpretation you gave, but can’t help to feel this childish presence reinforces Jacobeans society. “Children” are small and delicate. At the time in shakespeare’s contemporary audience most of the viewers were men. But juxtaposing this with the “childish” melody of the witches it almost gives a feel that they are not just physically but being metaphorically “looked down upon by society (by the audience)”. the fact they are “child like” means the audience would have to look down at them more than a normal character, (they have to physically look down to see them.) Im not sure about you, but when i read that passage i thought it was quite soft sounding perhaps referring to how Shakespeare thought women were soft and delicate, he is almost mocking the power women strive for.
Perhaps the witches are simply a construct by Shakespeare to outline the ambition in certain characters and to spark their downfall. As well as this, if the witches were simply predicting the future, Lady Macbeth could be a witch that helps to achieve those predictions (she also is unnamed, similar to the witches)
Dear Mr Salles, Your work here is excellent and I feel that I really benefit from all of your in depth and thought out articles. I have one request and it is just that sometimes I find your analysis hard to write about because you speak about it in colloquial language and therefore I don’t feel that I can make it into a full well argued paragraph. could you please put on the screen some sort of writing in which you make bullet points about the points you are making but in neat and sophisticated ways because I really want to be able to put your points to good use but I just struggle with forming sentences out of what you are saying even though I understand what you are saying. I hope you don’t take this as a bad thing but just something which I think might help some students as well as myself. thanks again for all your time and effort. Maya
I am in year 11 and my exams are in one weeks time and I was wondering what grade would you give this? The witches are presented as potent supernatural creatures this is conveyed through their strong foreshadowing thoughts. This is highlighted through the use of a oxymoron “Fair is foul and foul is fair”. The term “fair” juxtaposes with the term “foul”, this could signify Macbeth as he was portrayed as a “valiant”, noble and intrepid character, yet these character traits unravels as he transform to a sombre and blood- thirsty tyrant. This indicates the foulness the witches were foreboding. Contrastingly, the character Malcolm veils as a callous and vile man as he deceive Macduff testing his honour. Unlike Macbeth, Malcolm only portrays himself as a malicious person only for the purpose of good, saving Scotland from the power-hungry monster Macbeth. This links to the witches as they stated ” foul is fair”. This could perhaps be a reference to Malcolm as he had to act like a malignant man but truly he is not. This implies that the witches are powerful women purely because they have the ability to visualise and see the future, they know what would happen to each character, their fates and destinies. This creates a ominous and eerie atmosphere for the Jacobean audience as they have been illustrated a vivid image, they can see the immense power the witches hold this would have left them in a state of utter disturbance. This is because during the Jacobean era witches were hags associated with the devil, the fact that the witches could foreshadow can happen to a character would have completely petrifying and would have captivated the audience in a effective way.
Greetings from China, I watched a show called “sleep no more ” which is primarily based on “Macmath,” thank you for your insightful interpretations, in China, there is an old budda saying: what you think you become, it was Macbeth himself shaped his reality, not the witches. Thank you again for your wisdom.
Love the article Sir! I was wondering if you would be able to mark an essay I wrote on Lady Macbeth. I used the extract and question from the specimen material. I understand if you don’t have time but any help would be much appreciated. Thank you for your excellent articles! To a certain extent Lady Macbeth is presented as powerful in the extract and the play as a whole, however this power is undermined by her desperation and the male characters in the play. Shakespeare constructs her to represent the majority of women in the Jacobean era and also shows that she is a victim of the patriarchal society. Lady Macbeth is presented as powerful in this extract when she demands the spirits to “unsex” her. The imperative verb of “unsex” suggests her power and strength: she is demanding evil spirits to take her femininity away despite knowing that she will go to hell. For a contemporary audience this would be deeply unsettling since many would be fearful of the supernatural and of being dammed. Lady Macbeth is willing to deal with the supernatural and so is seen as brave and powerful- characteristics shared by men and, in particular, soldiers. She can then be seen as a character that is going against the patriarchy, which would not occur in many plays at the time.She is further presented as powerful when she tells Macbeth to “look like the innocent flower. But be the serpent under’t”. The simile of “the innocent flower” can be interpreted as her mocking Macbeth’s feminine qualities- qualities which she appears to no longer have.
Thanks a lot, these are some very interesting interpretations of the Witches in Macbeth. It is vital, however, to remember, that this is a contemporary reading. Shakespeare was not psychological – psychological realism only emerged around the end of 19th/beginning of the 20th century. This play is closely knit with the Gunpowder Plot and the whole Guy-Fawkes-blowing-up-the-parliament thing. In Shakespeare’s times, people believed that the plotters met on a Black Mass and aided by the Devil decided to find a way to overthrow King James I. Up until the beginning of the 17th century the witches have been presented as working individually with the exception of meeting up for a Sabbat, where they were thought to celebrate the Devil. Macbeth is the first play where the witches are known to congregate to plot and influence politics – that is why Shakespeare’s witches were so mindblowing in Shakespeare’s time. Also, the play isn’t a feminist manifesto. The reason why the witches are female not male, is probably because of the significantly higher percentage of those accused of witchcraft being female (80-90%) as in Shakespeare’s time people believed that women had a predisposition to excessive emotion, basically that they are capable of great rage and envy etc. which, in turn, made them witches. Applying modern readings to the times past is a fallacy. It does have many benefits,yes, and because of the richness of Shakespeare’s work it is possible, but before making any easy assumptions, I recommend you first look into the historical context of the work – Arden’s annotated edition of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is really good for example.
This article is absolutely amazing! i made a quick paragraph on one point i found rally interesting, i was hoping if you can tell me a grade for it and where i can improve? Thank you ! Later on in the play, the power and influence the witches and Lady Macbeth have over Macbeth is expressed through a paradoxical chiasmus. Lady Macbeth soliloquises her desire to “hold, hold!”, deliberately foreshadowing Macbeth’s final words following his mutual demise. Shakespeare carefully crafts the text in order for Macbeth to echo his “dearest” Lady Macbeth, connoting the influence she has over him, further explored with Lady Macbeth acting as a “spur” towards Macbeth’s reckless ambition. However, alternatively one could infer that the influence Lady Macbeth has over Macbeth may suggest his psychological behaviour rather than being under the influence of the witches, therefore undermining their power over the future with Lady Macbeths influence over him potentially a greater underlying factor.
Would it make sense to say that at the onset the first witch says “We three” where “We” and “three” are oxymoronic as “we” is a plural but “three” separates them. Could it allude to the Trinity which the Puritan audience would obviously be aware of and because there are “three” of them but act like one body, they’re like an anti-Trinity which demonstrates the full grasp of their supernatural evil.
You could also link the idea of “tending on mortal thoughts” as a point for the witches not actually being supernatural but having a “strange intelligence” in that they can sense people’s psyche and corrupt people into doing evil “deeds” by psychological exploitation. Love your articles, really enhanced my love for Shakespeare and English literature as whole 🙂
Thank you very much for the article! I found your comments on Shakespeare possibly mocking king James really interesting; and have come across this idea in other places too, but I feel hesitant to write about it without understanding what motive Shakespeare has to mock King James when (as you pointed out) this would be a fairly dangerous move. Do you think he’s just childishly making fun of the fact that James believed in witches? Thanks again for all the help you’ve given me 😀
I have a question, in relating to the idea that the witches are actually seeking revenge of the patriarchal society of the time, what question would be relevant to this? I’ve seen many practice questions like “explain how Shakespeare presents the witches”, if that question was to come up in the exam could my overall argument address this idea? Thank you for the article x
You could say that through Macbeth’s interaction with the witches, lady Macbeth gained power though him, as she had little power at the start, but then Macbeth told her about the witches and she started getting more powerful then after we see the witches for the final time, a little afterwards she loses power of herself and she dies, it’s like the power lady Macbeth has, is being fed by the witches
I don’t think that Shakespeare was trying to say that King James became the king because of the witches intervention because Shakespeare deliberately calls them the weird sisters (weird meaning fate), perhaps Shakespeare is suggesting that it was going to happen anyway whether Macbeth had acted on the prophecies or not. <<< This is just my opinion.
sir can you please tell me how good this response is for analyzing unseen poetry? How is Autumn presented in the poem? The poem by Naomi Lazard entitled ‘When autumn came’ tells a horrendous story about Autumn which has brought destruction and sorrow by establishing its tyrannical rule over nature. The lyrical piece delves into the themes of brutality and power of nature over man. Lazard skilfully employs a metaphoric verb in order to demonstrate that the Autumn is quite aggressive and brutal as the poem reads:’it stripped them down to the skin’. The fragment clearly highlights that Autumn is murderous and perhaps might imply its ruthlessness due to the fact that it is victimizing the trees. Moreover, the employment of the metaphoric verb ‘stripped’ possibly indicates the unbearable pain and misery that is caused by autumn to the trees and the use of the personified noun ‘skin’ makes the reader to have sympathy for the trees as ‘skin’ conjures up the connotation of fragility, thus exemplifying the vulnerability of the trees and that the autumns evil force is unstoppable. Furthermore, the imagery of agony is evoked through the use of the hyperbolic verb to illustrate that Autumn has diminished any sort of hope or happiness. The birds ‘were exiled from their song’ and ‘each voice torn out of its throat’, thus highly suggesting that Autumn is quite dominant and it is quite devilish too- as it steals the voice of the birds.The hyperbolic verb ‘exiled’ indicates that Autumn wants to spread misery everywhere and also that it is merciless as it harms birds too.
Could you say that the witches don’t literally exist and that they were created by Macbeth due to his ambition and greed, and he used the “apparitions” of the witches to justify his actions so he did not feel as guilty? could you use the quote “and be these juggling fiends no more believed” to back this up?