The witches look wild and don’t look like anything on earth. They have skinny lips and fingers. Banquo actually wonders about the witches’ sex. “Upon her skinny lips; you should be a women,” The language when we first see the witches is short, in simple sentences. Which could be twisted to have a deeper meaning. The witches have distinctive weather types when we see them, which can represents their characters, I think. In the opening scene of the play there are the witches chanting in a storm, which I think shows their wildness and unpredictability. The weather is also from their beliefs of the supernatural as in Shakespeare’s time they used the weather for bad deeds to occur. “Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair” Almost everything the witches say has two meanings and can be twisted to your own interpretation. In this case
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“Good” and “Evil”. I think witches are evil, even if the prophecy might not be true. (You do not tell the person as I think it could change destiny.)
Before Macbeth meets the witches there has been a war between King Duncan and Macdonwald who is a rebel leader. A captain brings news of this defeat. King Duncan also appoints Macbeth as the new Thane of Cawdor. Shortly after this he meets the witches. The witches tell him that he is going to be Thane of Cawdor, (Thane of Glamis) and that he was going to become King.” All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee Thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter.” When Macbeth hears the witches prophesy, he says that these things could not be possible because the Thane of Cawdor is a healthy man and he can’t imagine becoming King. But yet he is still interested in what they have to say. ”Stay, you imperfect speakers tell me more. By sinner’s death. I know I am Thane of Glamis; but how of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman; and to be king.” Macbeth has not yet been told that he has been appointed Thane of Cawdor. In this part of the play they are not really responsible for the downfall of Macbeth, as they had not told him the prophecy. I don’t think Macbeth should believe what the witches are saying because they are evil and would probably lie. There is also that point where the prophecy could not be true.
Just before Macbeth meets the witches for a second time, Lord Macduff has gone to England, to find Lenox. There are Macbeth spies everywhere and there is an obvious showing or panicking. When Macbeth meets the witches they tell him to beware of Macduff and again the meaning could be a bit confusing. They also conjure up a spell to bring apparations. ”Macbeth! Macbeth bewares Macduff. Beware the Thane of Fife.” This is warning Macduff. “Be bloody bold and resolute:
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Laugh to scorn. The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” This what the second apparition said. The third apparition said to beware of Dunsinane hill. I think Macbeth should believe what the witches are saying because they have been correct up until this point. The witches, I think are not responsible for the way Macbeth behaves after the prophecy, it is his response to the way the witches deal with it. At this part in the play the witches are not responsible for the downfall of Macbeth. Say if the witches were telling lies and Macbeth acted on them, it wouldn’t be the witches’ fault. They cannot be responsible for prophecy that might not even be correct. Macbeth’s wife and she bullied him into doing what she wanted.
The witches tell Banquo that someone is going to become king. After the prophecy has been said that Macbeth will become King, Banquo responds shocked and angry. Banquo had not expected this.
I don’t think Macbeth would have of killed Duncan if his wife had not bullied him and forced him into it. Macbeth and Duncan were good friends. He wasn’t going to do but she made sure she did “You are not a man”.
The reason I think the witches open the play because of their strong beliefs in the super naturals. The witches did confuse Macbeth. With having lots of simple meanings and hidden meanings, which are more complex and significant. Everything they do or say did have some affect on him, but the witches were not responsible for the downfall of Macbeth
