MacBeth coursework

they speak in puzzling riddles. They are the physical form of evil in the play.

The play was written between 1603 and 1606, coinciding with the accension of James the Sixth of Scotland

to the English throne, as James the First of England in 1603. The play was definitely written with this is mind.

The witches play an extremely important role in Macbeth. They are a catalyst for everything that happens to Macbeth,

finally leading to his eventual downfall. I think this is the reason that Shakespeare starts the play with them, as the

opening scene of a play is particularly important in creating a mood or atmosphere in which the main action of the

play will be set. The images and the actions that are created by the witches all add to making Macbeth the tragedy

that it is, for example; the weather is extreme and hostile: "fog and filthy air". The darkness, thunder and lightning

and their hypnotic chanting all add to Macbeth's tragedy.

'So withered and wild in their attire, that look not like th'inhabitants o'th'earth, and yet are on't?'

Shakespeare uses this phrase to portray the Witches as truly gruesome creatures. Anybody who met them

were terrified of them, and so they should be - they had the bodies of women but were also bearded. 'You

should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so.'

They had 'choppy fingers' and 'skinny lips', and were extremely old and 'withered' in their appearance.

The witches tell Macbeth in puzzling riddles that he will be 'Thane of Glamis', 'Thane of Cawdor' and

'King hereafter'.

Their information does tempt MacBeth, but they do not actually invite him to murder Duncan, or even

suggest such a thing, but Macbeth believes that this is the only way he will be king. This means that the

witches symbolise evil, but man is free to resist them. Macbeth is tragic, partly because he comes to depend

on the witches information. Without the witches influence, the plot of Macbeth could have been completly different.

Macbeths first mistake is in trusting the witches. The witches do not tell lies but speak in puzzling riddles which

do not always mean what they seem to. 'Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier.'

Macbeth, in his weakness, interprets these riddles to his own interest. He is not decieved by the witches, but by his

own interpretation of what they said.

The use of rhyme is a feature of the witches speech and makes it all seem more magical. 'When shall we three meet

again? In thunder, lightening, or in rain?'

Macbeth is tempted and intrigued by their predictions because they echo his own thoughts. It is these riddles and

prophecies from the witches that moves the plot of the story from scene to scene and shows just how important the

witches are in the play.The witches show that Macbeth's strength is only physical and that he has mental, emotional

and moral weaknesses which affect his ability to be a great king. They laugh and mock Macbeth making him look

pathetic in our eyes. They call Macbeth 'evil' which is ironic as they themselves are the truly evil ones.