The witches seem to repeat their evil points-“ I’ll do, I’ll do, I’ll do” and “Fair is foul and foul is fair” in the first scene. This help the audience grasp their pure evilness.
Although there is no connection between this story and the arrival of Macbeth, in both cases the witches are waiting to fulfil their purpose and encounter both men.
The sound of the drum is then heard, which symbolises the end of a war or battle. “A drum, a drum, Macbeth doth come”. Macbeth had succeeded in battle and the witches were excited that he was arriving.
In the next paragraph, the witches cast a spell. “The weird sisters hand in hand…” They are awaiting the return of the hero- Macbeth. Performing this charm “hand in hand” shows that it is an important ceremony.
When Macbeth enters and speaks the words “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” he is probably relating this comment to the weather. But this arises suspicions with the audience, as this was the witch’s quote in Scene 1. Also, Macbeth had just returned from a victory in battle so it seems a little strange that he is mentioning the weather.
Each witch greets Macbeth using different titles. The witches address him as “Thane of Glamis” which he already is, “Thane of Cawdor” which he doesn’t know he is to receive and “King” which comes as a complete shock to him. These greetings startle and seem to frighten Macbeth. These prophecies also introduce the idea of greatness into Macbeth’s head. The initial thoughts of power and the foretelling of his future royalty are planted into Macbeth’s mind for the first time.
Banquo questions the witches as to who they are. He doubts their existence because they look unnatural and strange. They greet him as “lesser than Macbeth and greater”, “ not so happy and yet much happier”, and a man who “shall get kings though be none.” He is lesser than Macbeth because he will never be king but also more, because his sons will be kings. He is also a better man morally than Macbeth.
The witches use very planned and contrasting language such as “lesser then Macbeth but greater”. This not only confuses Macbeth and Banquo but also adds extra elements of uncertainty to the scene.
Banquo then realises that Macbeth looks a little frightened and asks, “Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?” This basically means that Banquo is wondering why Macbeth fears their good predictions. IT may be that the witches have actually spoken Macbeth’s thought of ambition and are expressing what he is thinking. Elements of supernatural could be coming through here. The witches my actually be reading Macbeth’s mind- therefore exaggerating thoughts and turning them into their predictions.
Macbeth questions how he is to be Thane of Cawdor and “to be king stands not within the prospect of belief.” He asks the witches where they get this information. He wants to know more and begs the witches to stay-“Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more.” Again, this is another example of his burning ambition. Through out the scene the witches highlight this and also bring attention to the fact that he wants to be king.
The next scene I will look is Act 4 Scene 1. We meet the witches conjuring up a spell in their cauldron. All sorts of interesting ingredients are added such as reptile, shark, goat, tiger, baboon and wolf. These animals are all related to black magic and nighttime. I think Shakespeare’s main motive of including this “spell” was to really enhance the supernatural and create the eerie mood among the audience. Hecate (the Queen of witchcraft) appears, approves their work- “O Well done”, and calls for music, song and dance to celebrate the end of the witches’ preparations. Hecate leaves.
The witches then sense and evil omen approaching- “ By the Pricking of my thumbs
Something wicked this way comes.”
Macbeth then enters and demands to know what the future holds for him. He is prepared to let natural and human disasters happen provided he gets an answer to his question. He then goes on to say that “ natures germen tumble together” meaning that all seeds may be lost forever if only he gets an answer. This shows the audience the true extent of the temptation of evil Macbeth has already been faced with.
The witches agree to his demands and tell Macbeth that they have “masters”. Macbeth is being drawn in as the witches allow him to see more of their powerful spirits. The ‘masters’ are the apparitions, which are about to be shown to Macbeth. Just before the first apparition is shown to him the first witch says “He knows thy thought” meaning that the masters can read Macbeth’s mind. This could relate to what I previously said about the witches knowing Macbeth’s thoughts.
The first apparition is “An armed head” clearly representing a military figure. It warns Macbeth of Macduff (Thane of Fife). The vision disappears. Macbeth tries to ask it another question but one of the witches warns the king that these visions will not be commanded.
Thunder sounds and a second vision appears-a bloody child. The vision tells him, "Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn. The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." This means that no man born of a woman can harm Macbeth and this reassures him. Macbeth’s thinks he has nothing to fear and this makes him feel very brave and invincible, however he still “takes a bond of fate” promising to continue in his plans to destroy Macduff.
The third apparition appears. It is a child wearing a crown, with a tree in its hand, who says, "Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill [Macbeth's castle] shall come against him." This reassures Macbeth even more, since he knows that nothing can move a forest!
Macbeth feels invincible at these tidings because no one can bid the forest to uproot. But Macbeth has another question that he insists the witches must answer. He wants to know if Banquo’s descendants will ever hold the throne. Although the witches tell him to be satisfied with what he already knows, Macbeth insists they answer his last question. So they show him . The last king has a glass in his hand, and follows the eighth king. Macbeth sees that all of these kings are of Banquo's line as the ghost smiles at him and points at the kings of the future. In the glass that the eighth holds are many more kings from Banquo's line. After answering his question, the witches, joined by Hecate, dance around and then vanish
In Shakespeare’s time, supernatural happenings and creatures such as witches were very common and this is strongly represented in the play of Macbeth. At the time of Shakespeare, hundreds of thousands of women were being tortured and executed because it was believed they were witches, and suspected of having evil powers given to them by the devil. King James I introduced these thoughts because he was personally terrified of witches. He believed that a group of them had raised a storm to try and drown him. He then passed a law that any person thought to have supernatural powers was to be convicted to death.
In Shakespeare's time many people would relate many of the unusual happening against the supernatural, since this was the most simplistic of an answer to give. Elizabethan's have several beliefs in superstitions. Some of these superstitions include that they believe in witches, ghosts, destiny, and the foretelling of the future. Many people believed witches in Shakespeare's day. Everyone from the educated to the non-educated believed in the supernatural. When something was not explainable they would relate that problem to the supernatural, even though today that same problem was explainable in scientific terms. The belief of witches in the seventeenth century suggests that the witches are powerful creatures and hold authority over him.
To a modern, 21st century audience this idea seems immature and unbelievable. Audiences today quickly become more interested in the plot of an ambitious man with a strong-willed wife who must try to cope with the guilt due to the murder of an innocent king in order to further their power. The elements of superstition, ghosts, and witchcraft, though more readily a part of everyday life for the audience in Shakespeare’s time.
So were the witches responsible in the downfall of Macbeth or did other people (including Macbeth himself) contribute to it as well?
Many people wonder if Macbeth ever had a chance of doing the right thing and remaining innocent after he met the witches. To an extent this is right. The witches initially planted the seeds of murder and evil into Macbeth’s head. However, it is the combination of his ambitious nature and the initial prophesies that lead him to regicide. They make Macbeth believe that the prize of Kingship he longs for is near and the show him the power of royalty.
It is more realistic however to believe that Macbeth was responsible for his own actions throughout the play and it was he who made the final decisions. The witched foretell the future, add temptation and evil and influence Macbeth but they cannot control his thoughts or actions. The witches offer great enticement but it is in the end Macbeth’s decision to fall for the temptation, not to resist.
Lady Macbeth also contributes to his downfall and is shown early in the play as a very ambitious woman. She can manipulate Macbeth easily because he loves her. This is shown in the line “That I may pour my spirits in thine ear.” (Act 1 Scene 5) Before the speech she gives in act 1 scene 5, Macbeth decides not to go through with the killing of the king. However, Lady Macbeth chips away at Macbeth’s self esteem by playing n his manliness and bravery. He is like a child who is easily guided and Lady Macbeth knows it. She can convince him to do anything. On the other hand, as the play develops there is a reversal of order and Macbeth becomes the dominating partner.
Macbeth himself already harbours the thoughts of kingship and ambition that in the end leads him to commit murders. He willingly listens to the witches and takes onboard what they have to say.
