This scene echoes a major theme of the play which is,
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair;” (All Witches Act1 Scene1 Lines 11-12).
This saying could affect how you would make the witches appear. I think if I was directing Macbeth, I would make at least one of the witches look attractive and young to show innocence, because this would prove that “Fair is foul, and foul is fair;” However in Shakespeare makes the witches look old and withered, you know this when the witches meet with Macbeth and Banquo, and Banquo describes them when he says.
“What are these,
So withered, and so wild in their attrie,
That look not like th’ inhabitants o’ th’ earth,” (Banquo Act1 Scene3 lines 39-41)
This is traditional interpretation on how the witches look like.
The witches cannot kill people personally so they use people or the weather as instruments to do it for them. At the beginning of Act 1 scene 3 we learn how limited the witches powers are. They tell us a story about a sailor’s wife and how they keep her husband out to sea by manipulating the weather.
“I’ll drain him dry as hay;” (First Witch Act1 Scene3 line 19)
Some people argue weather that this part with the witches should not be in the play as they say it slows down the excitement of the play, and this would be the time during the play when the audience would get up for some refreshments. Nevertheless I think that this is a vital part of the play as it may explain why the witches have involved Macbeth into their wicked ways to cause pandemonium and evil.
In Act 1 Scene 3 Macbeth says his first words in the play these are:
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen.” (Act1 Scene3 line38)
These words echo what the witches said at the end of Act1 Scene1, and this links Macbeth with the witches straight away. If I were directing the play I would have Macbeth and Banquo at the back of the stage and the witches in front of them, to emphasize there evil I would have a red spotlight shone on the witches and a smoke machine to create an eerie atmosphere. Macbeth and Banquo then see the witches and they greet each other. Each of the witches greet Macbeth personally the first witch says
“All hail Macbeth , hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!” (Act1 Scene 3 Line 46)
“All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!” (Act1 Scene 3 Line 47,48)
“All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, that shalt be King here after!” (Line 49,50)
As you can see each comment becomes higher in rank, to King. Banquo response is.
“Are ye fantastical” (Act 1 Scene 3 Line 53)
Then Banquo asks the witches to tell him his own future. The witches reply and say:
“Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.”
“Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail Macbeth and Banquo!”
These comments that the witches say have now set the events in motion by motivating Macbeth, this has also sealed Banquo fate as Macbeth would need to kill him so that he cant be farther consequently Macbeth’s family is on the throne longer. Banquo is right to mistrust them and he warns Macbeth when he says:
“And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence” (Banquo Act 1 Scene 3 Line 124-127)
This sums up exactly how the witches work they use people as instruments to manipulate them.
Macbeth wants to know more about these preposterous comments made by the Witches, but all of a sudden they vanish. In Shakespearian times they would of used a trap door to create the effect of a disappearance. However today a trap door is still used.
When the witches tell Macbeth about the future, it could have awoken or planted the seeds of evil within his soul. The word “murder” comes into his mind and “Horrible imaginings”. However the witches cant guide him all the way to evil it will be up to himself and his wife. But he could still hope to be crowed he says, “Chance they crown me”. As of Scottish succession, which could make him king because if all the royals who are in battle die in Scotland’s war against Norway, he could be the last man standing this makes his crime double heinous.
By the time we see the witches again. Macbeth has murdered Duncan, his best friend Banquo and has become a tyrant. However before this there are two instances of the supernatural.
The first is when Macbeth is about to execute the kill on King Duncan. He sees a dagger, he goes for it and Macbeth’s hand goes right through it.
“A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?” (Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 Lines 38-39)
This could have been sent by the witches to give him a push but it is unnecessary as he is already going in that direction, consequently the witches influence no longer matters because he has already taken control. He then draws his own dagger, but all of a sudden the vision changes to a bloody dagger.
“And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before.” (Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 lines 46-47)
Then Macbeth starts to talk about which craft Pale Hecate and murder. In them days the stories about Pale Hecate are relevant so Shakespeare puts them in so that the audience can create there own supernatural images. However today you would not include it because of the technology available to create holograms and illusions with lasers. You can see this in Polanski’s version of the play he uses lasers to create the dagger.
The other instance of the supernatural is when Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost in Act 3 Scene 4. You could stage this in 2 ways. You could have the actor that played Banquo made to look like a ghost, or you could have nothing there so that you would see Macbeth talking to a stool. I would have him talking to a stool because if you had a ghost the audience will see that he is actually seeing one, but if I don’t, and you have Macbeth talking to a stool the audience will believe that he had gone insane. Shakespeare keeps the throne where Macbeth sits empty because this will be the place where the ghost appears, so he has Macbeth socializing with his friends.
“Ourself will mingle with society,” (Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4 line 2)
Then Macbeth sees that the tables full because Banquo is sitting in his place. Only Macbeth can see the ghost and that’s why Lennox says
“Here is a place reserved, sir.” (Lennox Act 3 Scene 4 line 45)
Macbeth recognises the ghost of Banquo is sat in his place at the table; he believes this is a joke by someone who may know he called for Banquo’s murder.
‘Which of you have done this?’ (Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4 line 48)
In Act 4 Scene 1 Macbeth goes to consult the witches, this own decision to do this. Therefore the witches have captivated Macbeth. The opening of this scene is really about giving the audience a thrill. The witches are conducting an evil spell they use horrible ingredients for it like,
“Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,” (Second witch Act 4 Scene 1 line14)
In them days this would of pleased the groundlings. If I were to stage this scene I would have a big cauldron in the middle of the stage with all the witches gathered around, I would have a red spot light shone on them all and a smoke machine so it would look like the cauldron is giving off smoke, this would create an hazy atmosphere. For the ingredients I would have them as nasty and as uninviting as possible this would make the witches even more repulsive to the audience, therefore entertaining the audience. Once they have finished the spell Macbeth knocks at the door of the witches home, then ironically a witch says,
“By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes:” (Second witch Act 4 Scene1line 45)
Macbeth enters the witch’s home a he is determined to know the future, no matter what the cost.
“I conjure you, by that which you profess, however you come to know it, answer me.” (Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 line 50-51)
The witches oblige him with three apparitions. The 1st apparition is an armed head this could be interpreted as Macduff, or Macbeth’s head or ‘the head of rebellion’. The 2nd apparition is a bloody child. This is referring to Macbeth being ripped from his mother’s womb untimely. This could imply that he was born via cesarean section which in them days was not normal this could explain why Macbeth has turned wicked. The last apparition is a child crowned with a tree in his hand; this could be interpreted as Malcolm or James 1st. They all assume that Malcolm is intended in that he gives the order to hew down branches, although it could be about James 1st. It was known that James 1st was crowned in the cradle, so the tree could be a family tree.
Shakespeare would of stages these apparitions using just actors and props, for the armed head they could of used a fake head with armor on it, and for the other two apparitions they could of just used a real child and used make up to create the illusion of blood. However in the 21st century the effects you can create for this scene are overwhelming for the armed head its possible to have a real head floating in mid-air, this can be done using holograms. The same techniques could be used to create illusions for the rest of the apparitions.
If I were to stage ‘Macbeth’ today I would make a film rather than a play doing this would enable me to input more special effects. I would go along the same route as Pulaski’s version because I liked how he made one of the witches young and beautiful to echo the “Fair is foul” saying.
After reading the play, I’m bewildered, how could a potential hero be so taken in, unless he wanted to be? I think from birth Macbeth had something evil in him that needed someone or something to trigger the evilness off, so I believe that the witches were the ones that pulled the trigger that resulted in the total destruction of Macbeth.
