In 1604, Parliament increased the penalty for witchcraft by death, and subsequently many innocent people were blamed as witches.
Before the Shakespearean era, the majority of entertainment was cruel sports. Serious plays were bring written and performed and were popular during this period of history. The theatre became a popular source of entertainment. Both rich and poor class people would flock to watch the endless hours of exciting plays.
Shakespeare’s hexagonal theatre, “The Globe”, was the biggest theatre in London. Situated south of the Thames bank, it held a staggering three thousand people. Theatre companies usually had over eight men and a few boys who were trained to play the female roles. Females were discouraged from acting, as men believed women did not have the astuteness and brainpower to conduct a play. The companies would purchase costumes from tailors and buy plays from writers, though Shakespeare’s Company was fully funded and obtained its own plays.
The theatre was made of basic materials such as wood and hay. The entrance fee for the poor was a penny, which would entitle the viewer to stand on the ground. They were known as “groundlings”. The rich had the pleasure of sitting on tiers of wooden benches, while the richest sat upon the stage itself.
To signal a play was being performed, a flag would be raised at the top of the theatre building. The stage would usually be a large platform supported by four large pillars. The stage was six feet high and upon the stage were several trap doors for special effects. They were various effects but to our standard these were very primitive.
Tragedies, histories and comedies attracted all types of people. As an educated man, Shakespeare’s love for Latin poetry and reading inspired him to create extraordinary and phenomenal plays. Shakespeare studied ancient texts such as the “Holinshed Chronicles” which included notes on historical events and ancient people. He also used true facts and events, which he altered and modified to develop sensational plays. He also used the method of improving plays to generate a more distorted view of historical events to reinforce a link between the monarch’s views. In broad context, he used the “Holinshed Chronicles” or historical events for a background for the play.
“Macbeth” was one such play, which Shakespeare actually wrote for King James I. Macbeth was in reality a king, in an earlier period of Scottish history, who in fact was a righteous and virtuous king. Nor did he kill anyone during his worthy and respectable reign. Adaptations such as supernatural evil were added to the script to please the monarch.
In Shakespeare’s time, there was neither scenery nor props and so language was endorsed so that it would set the scene. During the start of the play, the witches were portrayed as evil and were described with foul terminology.
In contrast, the witches (or weird sisters) in Shakespeare’s plays are irredeemably repulsive and malicious. They are described as decaying and senile, Banquo has judged them on their garments in the first sentence as ancient and faded.
“So withered, and wild in their attire”
From the sentence “that look not like th’inhibitants o’th’earth, and yet are on’t?” It can be interpreted that the witches are so inconsistent compared to humans that Banquo suggests that they are not of this world and is confused as to how such a being arrived upon the earth. He is suspicious yet does not consider them as witches. They are then described with masculine features and they are broadly regarded as not women.
“By each at once her choppy finger laying upon her skinny lips, you should be women, yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so”
Here is a good example of Shakespeare using language as a tool to enhance the audience’s understanding of what they see. At other parts in Act 1, Shakespeare uses description to set a scene of atmosphere.
The witches in broad context are described as revolting, vile, elderly and having male aspects. Men did however, play the parts of women and so this is why Shakespeare decided to add the factors such as the witches having the physicals properties of males.
The witches are regarded as wicked and mischievous, causing havoc upon the ordinary population. They also don’t tolerate any disobedience or rejection of orders by them to other people. In this play the witches have caused great pain to a woman and her husband. A sailor’s wife had chestnuts on her knee, she consumed them without hesitation, and then a witch demanded some.
“A sailor’s wife had chestnuts upon her lap, and munched and munched and munched: “Give me”, qouth I”.
The sailor’s wife rejected with filthy language. Such violent use of words indicates the vile nature of the witches and is another way Shakespeare uses language successfully.
“Aroint thee witch, the rump-fed ronyon cries”
The witch had known her husband had gone on a voyage. Yet the witch wanted revenge, which was centred on the sailor. The witch had caused a wind to blow the sailor’s ship out of direction “and the very ports they blow, and the quarters that they know”. He had lost his way, and to make it worse, the compass of sailors was damaged “I’th shipman’s card”. This would make the voyage a disaster but the sailor would not be able to reach home. This meant that his limited food supplies would decline making him famished and dehydrated.
“I’ll drain him dry as hay”
The harsh weather would make him sleepless and without rest, though he will not die.
“Weary sennights nine times nine, shall he dwindle, peak and pine,” says that he will suffer for eighty-one days but his ship will not sink.
The total misfortunes were upon the sailor’s wife, who eventually would starve to death due to the fact the sailor had no income and food to provide for her. The witches from their past events are inhumane and remorseless, having no sympathy for the damage they cause from their evil acts, and those who are rebellious will suffer.
The language is important in a different context, as previously told that witches had the power of prediction, the story of the sailor and his ship is actually an extended metaphor relating to Macbeths future. The future of Macbeth is that while he is on the throne, his kingdom is wrecked as the same way as the sailor’s ship was almost wrecked.
Witches are known to have mysterious though evil powers, which the people of England and James I were absolutely terrified of. One of the worst was that they could predict the future, as they predicted that Macbeth would become the Thane of Cawdor and also the king of Scotland “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail to Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail to Macbeth! That shalt be the king hereafter!” Whilst Macbeth is stunned by the predictions, Banquo demands to tell him of his future. He is told that although he will not become king, his offspring will be “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater”, “Not so happy, yet much happier” and “thou shalt get kings, though thou be none”.
One such mysterious object witches possessed were familiars, or animals such as cats and toads, which carried out evil tasks for them. “I come, Graymalkin” a witch is calls out to her familiar, which is a cat in this play. Another witch calls out to her familiar, which is a toad “paddock calls”. Familiars embodied evil spirits.
People also believed that witches could control the weather, a power, which was considered incredible.
“I’ll give thee a wind”
The witches were not limited to land, but also used their power across oceans.
Their magic could make simple objects water tight.
“But in a sieve, I’ll thither a sail”
They could also become your mortal enemy if you refused them food like in the story of the sailor’s wife. Shakespeare is using language to confirm superstitions held by the audience about the power of the witches.
Witches were known to have a trick that confused much of the audience. The trick was the art of vanishing “wither are they vanished”, “into the air”,“as breath into wind”.
The witches tended to congregate in a secluded locality, free of human souls, and in Act 1 upon the heath. Generally, the witches preferred not to expose themselves, so that their very existence would not be jeopardised. Persecution of women is Shakespearean time was common. They met usually on dark nights in dull weather “when shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain”
The language used by the witches in Shakespeare play was in rhyming couplets, and what was common was that the last word of each sentence rhymed. This then sounded like the witches were chanting spells, which created some sort of evil presence upon the stage. He also used the system of iambic pentameter, which was a method that made each line in every verse have the same number of beats. This created poetic and sensational language that appealed to the audience and to the nobility and was a contrast to the blank verse spoken by the “weird sisters”.
The language utilised by the witches also demonstrate the magic and evil they create. The witches used a series of quotes to represent their evil sayings. The number three represented evil in Shakespearean times and in the play the witches used three as reference to their evil as well as the witches chanting their evil riddles.
“The Weïrd Sisters, hand in hand, Posters of the sea and land, Thus do go, about, about, Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine, And thrice again, to make up nine. Peace! The charm’s wound up.”
Shakespeare’s special effects comprised of primitive stage effects. They used simple theatrical devices to display the magical powers of witches as well as other actions. Usually, the most effortless was the act of vanishing, which involved simple actions. Vanishing was displayed by the witches covering their faces with a veil or a cloth, which explained to the audience that the witches were disappearing and then the witches would exit the stage. A more complicated way of completing this trick was to utilise the three trap doors, which the witches would exit through.
Another effect was controlling the weather, which the theatre musicians would use a series of instruments to create the effect of a particular weather, as well as the words of the script which depicted a particular weather.
A more complicated effect was the witches flying through the air. The actors would be attached to a harness and members of the theatre would pull the rope so that the witches would be pulled up to the balcony. This would probably be the most exciting and pleasing effect.
The witches in the play are of significance because they notify to the audience that witchcraft is present in the play. They also create the play because the plot is based upon their evil intentions and predictions, which is to persuade Macbeth to listen to them. They reveal to Macbeth that he will receive the title of Thane of Glamis and Cawdor and eventually he will become the king. This creates satisfaction to Macbeth, as he now desires to become king. After the predications Macbeth is stunned, but the witches have already implanted into his mind the idea that he will become king, and he can’t resist his urges and he eventually carries out a plan to become king. It is important to understand that the witches have only predicted that he would become the King of Scotland, this does not mean that he will become King, but rather the witches have implanted this in his mind, and it is upto Macbeth if he would become king and this would be only by killing King Duncan. This would rather say that the predictions made by the witches have a tremendous effect on the characters in the play. It can be clearly seen that Macbeth has been influenced by the witches, when he repeats the same evil words that witches chanted in the play earlier “fair is foul and foul is fair” and Macbeth’s repetition of the same line “So foul and fair day I have not seen” indicates a link between himself and evil. Even when he talks about the witches as “imperfect speakers”, it is quite ambiguous as this suggests either he understands the witches but finds their talk quite compelling or he does not understand what the witches are saying.
The witch’s predictions are important in the play as the effects it has on Macbeth is seen by Banquo, as he doesn’t trust the witches.
Banquo says in act 1, scene 3, and line 124:
”The instruments of darkness tell us truth, win us with honest trifles, to betrays in deepest consequence.”
He thinks and says bad thing about the witches. He calls them instruments of darkness and of the devil. Banquo sees the effect on Macbeth when the witches make their predictions. He believes the prophecies will only bring harm even before anything begins to happen. Banquo’s doubts are confirmed when Macbeth, in his soliloquy, speaks his thoughts out aloud. It is at this point that Macbeths first mentions the murder of Duncan. The evil witches plan has worked, as they have planted the seed of an idea into Macbeth’s brain. It is Macbeth’s greed that causes it to grow and lead a bitter end.
The pun relating to Macbeth suggests that he is “rapt” in the thoughts of his deep desires means that he is indulged so much in his desires that he is separated and isolated from the rest of the characters, just like he is “wrapped” in a cloak. The imagery also relating to Macbeth on the issue of the message that he receives from the messenger that he has become the Thane of Cawdor surprises him, as he now believes the witches who earlier made the predictions that he would become that Thane of Cawdor.
It is known Macbeth is known to hate himself as being shown as a hypocrite, and in that he does it badly. In Act, Scene 3 he recites the quote “why do you dress me in borrowed robes”, meaning that he believes why has he received a title that he is not entitled to (he uses clothes as simile or metaphor for the title and he asks why is he dressed in borrowed clothes or why he has been given such a title). He is reluctant of receiving such a title he is not entitled to. This underlines the changes that will come over him later when he murders Duncan for the crown.
Macbeth also calls for himself to be “cloaked”, (another imagery) of his “black and deep desires”. A silent soliloquy telling the audience that he does not want his “black and deep desires” to be discovered by anyone. The clothing images are paralleled by a series of ‘masking’ or ‘cloaking’ images which are changes of the garments that hide his evil side.
The infamous witches create an atmosphere of evil upon the stage. At the start of the play, the witches appear first setting the scene and creating an aura of evil. Their use of language with bizarre sentences, make the audience feel terrified by the witches and the very unusual riddles of evil that they display. Such other examples of this are when the witch’s chant in the play earlier “fair is foul and foul is fair” and Macbeth’s repetition of the same line “So foul and fair day I have not seen” indicates antithesis. These are a confusion of words being produced by the witches to show the audience of their evil riddles, and another example of this is when the second witch says, “When the battle is lost and won”. The witches use language to tell the audience that there riddles are the direct opposite, not sure whether which one to believe, as foul cannot be fair and fair cannot be foul as they both are of different meanings and this also applies when they say the sentence lost and won.
The play is important because it represents the struggle between good and evil, as the witches are always shown as evil. Since the Play was based in the time where witches were being indicted as the main source of evil and suffering, it would be assumed that it would be natural in Shakespearean era to engender a feeling of hate and disgust against witches. The play is showing a system of good and evil which are battling it out, as Macbeth is generally a honourable gentleman in Scotland and as he helped the king to fight the Norwegians, it would be clear in the play he is generally of good nature. But the struggle between good and evil means that as soon as he meets the witches they influence him. However, If Macbeth had listened to Banquo then perhaps the tragic events to follow could have been stopped.
The witches in the play are really important in terms of politics, because they support the beliefs of James I, who took a keen interest in the play. This would eventually provide an income to the actors and the theatre company. This play not only benefited the actors but also provided entertainment that no one could provide. “Macbeth” is one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies: a drama of crime and punishment, of temptation, guilt, remorse and retribution.
The witches offer great enticement, but it is in the end, each individual’s decision to fall for the temptation, or be strong enough to resist their captivation.
