The play ‘Macbeth’ is set in Scotland. Most people feel that ‘Macbeth’ was written for James I, because James I believed in witchcraft.
The play opens with a mystical feel, largely achieved by the stage directions.
‘Thunder and Lightning. Enter three witches’
Stage Directions, Act 1 Scene 1
The audience in Shakespeare’s time would have believed in witches and the early sight of them in the play would grab the audiences attention. Shakespeare I feel at this point is trying to drill in the fact that the witches are far from being humorous or light hearted, this would destroy any atmosphere that needed to be created in the play, for full effect.
The witches, make predictions as to what will happen in Macbeth’s life.
‘When the hurly-burley’s done, when
the battle’s lost and won.’
Witches, Line 3, Act 1 Scene 1
The witches talk in almost riddle like sentences, which really throws a mystical aspect to any point at which they are involved.
‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through
Fog and filthy air.’
Witches, Line 12 act 1 scene 1
The witches express the power that they posses, and this is illustrated throughout the whole play. The witches make a comment about the death of a pilot.
‘Here I have a pilot’s thumb,
wrecked as homeward he did come.’
Witches, Line 26 act 1 scene 3
Throughout the play Macbeth shows his ambition in life, to become something better. He returns to the witches to hear more about was is to happen in his life.
The speech that the captain makes allows the audience to know that the character Macbeth is brave and courageous.
“But all’s too weak, for brave Macbeth - well he
deserves that name Disdaining Fortune,”
Captain, Line 15 act 1 scene 2
This leads us to believe that Macbeth is loyal and dependable.
The stage directions in act 1 scene 3 are exactly the same as act 1 scene 1, this attaches the same fear that was gained at the opening of the play.
Shakespeare creates a scene where the character Macbeth returns very soon to the witches, this is because he needs more information on what the witches have already told him.
When Macbeth enters and speaks his first line,
“So foul and fair a day
I have not seen.”
Macbeth, line 36 act 1 scene 3
This means that Macbeth already has experienced a strange day with the weather and atmosphere, it is almost although he is predicting the presence of the witches.
To conclude, Shakespeare uses different techniques for using the
witches to create dramatic tension, the main way he used the witches was in the way they make their predictions, as to what will happen in Macbeth’s life.
