In scene 1 the third witch mentions Macbeth’s name. This makes the audience think about why the witches are saying his name so early on in the play. Also the witches talk about meeting Macbeth ‘upon the heath’. The witches are set in a battle field with thunder and lightning. The weather also makes the scene seem supernatural and as if the words that the witches speak are some sort of spell which is affecting the weather. Also the way in which the witches speak is in rhyme which makes them seem strange and isolated as nobody in the play speaks in rhyme. In addition the witches also talk in time with each other.
From the first paragraph the first impressions of the witches are that they are evil, cruel and mysterious. One the witches talks about a sailors wife who had chestnuts in her lap but wouldn’t give the witch any, due to this the witch took it’s anger out on her husband and sunk his ship in a storm. This shows the witches true evil side as she took ones life just because she wasn’t given any chestnuts.
When Macbeth comes into the play for the first time his opening line is “so foul and fair a day I have not seen”. This is similar to the three witch’s last line in act 1 scene. This makes it seem that the witches have put the words into Macbeth’s mouth, also this may be a sign of Macbeth having an evil side just like the witches as they speak the same words. Also it is a key indication of the themes of the play that appearance cannot be trusted.
When Macbeth meets the witches for the first times he says “speak if you can, what are you?” this shows that he is curious about the witches, and not in the least bit afraid. He’s also giving them instructions as he likes to be in control. The first witch says to Macbeth, “all hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis”. The second witch says “all hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor”. The third witch says “all hail Macbeth that shall be King here after”. After this is said Macbeth doesn’t speak, this is due to the fact that he is thinking about why the witches mentioned his name as the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth then comes back into the play and says “stay you imperfect speakers… speak, I charge you”. This is Macbeth’s attempt to get more information out of the witches. Also notice how Macbeth says “I charge you”. Macbeth is trying to use his position as Thane of Glamis to order the witches around. After this speech the witches “vanish”. Then Banquo asks “whither are they vanish’d”. Macbeth answers him and says “into the air …would they have stayed. This shows that Macbeth wanted to learn more from the witches about his future. Macbeth then mentions to Banquo “your children shall be Kings”, this is a clue to the fact that Macbeth believes the witches. Banquo says “you shall be King”, reminding Macbeth of his so called future. Macbeth then remembers that the witches said he would be Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth wonders why the witches did say that he is Thane of Cawdor, because of course Macbeth isn’t aware that the original Thane was a traitor and killed. King Duncan awarded the position to Macbeth due to his show of bravery and skill in the battle against Norway. This is when the messengers Ross and Angus arrive to tell Macbeth that he is now Thane of Cawdor.
In act 1 scene 3 Macbeth is told by the witches that he is ‘Thane of Cawdor’. His initial reaction is disbelief. This is due to his knowledge that the Thane of Cawdor is alive, but it is not until after Angus explains that the Thane is dead, when ideas run through Macbeth’s. He physically separates himself from the other characters, and speaks to the audience aside and says “The greatest is behind –thanks for your pains”. After Macbeth says this he asks Banquo “do you not hope your children shall be Kings”? This is Macbeth’s attempt to test Banquo to see if he believes what the witches have said. This most likely because Macbeth now sees him as a threat because Macbeth wants his own children to become the future Kings not Banquo’s children like the witches said. On the 133rd line Macbeth says, “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion, whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated knock at my ribs against the use of nature?”, this is when he decides himself to kill the King. Macbeth, later on in the play drops hints ironically in public conversation. Macbeth says “my dull brain was wrought with things forgotten” and “let us toward the King”. Macbeth is being ironic when he says this; he says that he was day dreaming, but really he was planning killing the King. In addition when Macbeth says “let us towards the King” he means, let’s go and visit the King so I can figure out how to kill him.
In conclusion, the statement of “act 1 scene 3 is the pivotal scene of the play I agree with. This is because without this scene the play wouldn’t make sense. The scene includes the witches revealing Macbeth’s future to him the witches say to Macbeth- “all hail Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Glamis”-“all hail Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor”-“all hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter”. This is when Macbeth’s evil side comes out the evidence of this is when he says “Glamis, and thane of Cawdor: the greatest is behind”. Also, I agree with the first part of the statement when it says “following this, the issue for the audience is not what Macbeth will do or why but rather the means and consequences of the murder”. This is because the audience find out what the plot of Macbeth early in the play, this makes them curious of what is going to happen after the murder of the King and how will Macbeth cope with becoming King and what will he do to keep his position as King secure.