The play opens with a storm (thunder and lightning) and witches. This creates an instant dramatic impact, to frighten and unsettle the audience. They meet in foul weather and speak of lightning, fog and filthy air. This introduces ‘Macbeth’ as a dark, dangerous play in which evil (created by witches) is central to the plot. “Fair is foul and foul is fair” these words contradict each other, it is confusing because how can something fair be foul and how can foul be fair? A sinister, foreboding atmosphere is created to arouse doubt, ambiguity, and contradiction.
The physical appearance of the witches is grotesque, unearthly, frightening and contributes to the atmosphere of fear and evil; “so withered and so wild in their attire, that look not like the inhabitants o’the earth. You should be women. And yet your beards forbid me to interpret, that you are so.” They cast violent evil spells, “killing swine, Aleppo gone, peace! The charm’s wound up.” Their spells and prophecies are expressed in the form of riddles and grotesque images, they chant in unison and can apparently control weather. “Posters of the sea and land, Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine. In thunder, lightening or in rain?”
The witches introduce the theme of reality and illusion. Things are not as they seem. They speak in form of riddles and it’s hard to understand them. This is emphasised even more when we hear Macbeth echo the same words as the witches, “So foul and fair a day I have not seen.” This is the first time in the play we hear Macbeth’s very first speech. Why are the witches words in Macbeth’s mouth? Are we meant to associate him with the witches and their evil? Furthermore Macbeth and Banquo are not sure if the witches existed or whether they were a product of their imagination. Banquo even suggests they might have been hallucinations, “have we eaten the insane root.” The witches vanish as instantaneously as they appeared.
The witches also introduce the theme of fate and destiny. As they acquaint with the future of Macbeth and Banquo, “Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter.” As Macbeth has used the witches words does this means that they are controlling his destiny? By echoing their words the idea of prophecy is introduced.
Why do the witches’ prophecies have so much power over Macbeth than Banquo? The witches choose the right moment to approach them, when they are full of triumph of battle and fresh from killing. We witness Macbeth begging the witches to stay and tries to question them, “Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more.” Does this means that he has already had thought about being the king? What are the horrible imaginings he then speaks of? Could they be of murdering the king? The witches could only exert so much power over him only if had already had these thoughts in his mind, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical.” Yet Banquo reacts totally different then Macbeth, “I’the name of truth, Are ye fantastical.” He seems not to fear the witches or the prediction they made about Macbeth, “Speak then to me who neither beg nor fear, Your favours nor hate.”
The witches seem to speak Macbeth’s innermost thoughts. They know exactly what to and their timing is very precise. They act as a team. They seem unnaturally close; they seem to speak with one voice and act with one mind. When Ross and Angus arrive with the news that king Duncan has made Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor, the first prophecy has come true. Therefore this makes him believe his greatest prize is near. Macbeth appears to have immediate proof to believe that the witches know the future. Macbeth seems to be under the witches spell. The witches only appear once but there words stay in his thoughts. Where as Banquo knows that the witches are evil and often seduce us with small rewards in order to cause our destruction, “to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths; Win us with honest trifles.”
To conclude, Shakespeare opens the play with the witches to frighten, confuse and unsettle the audience, he also wanted to make a dramatic impact in the theatre. Furthermore, he wants to introduce the main themes of the play: Fate, Destiny, Illusion and Reality. Although the witches are only on stage for a short time they exert a powerful influence throughout the rest of the play.
