macbeth essay on the witches

Why the 'Macbeth' Witches Are Key to Shakespeare's Play

Their prophecies fuel Macbeth's thirst for power

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"Macbeth" is known to be a story about the desire for power of the protagonist and his wife, but there's a trio of characters that shouldn't be left out: the witches. Without the "Macbeth" witches, there would simply be no story to tell, as they move the plot.

The Five Prophesies of the 'Macbeth' Witches

During the play, the "Macbeth" witches make five key prophesies:

• Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor—and eventually King of Scotland.
• Banquo’s children will become kings.
• Macbeth should “beware Macduff.”
• Macbeth cannot be harmed by anyone “of woman born.”
• Macbeth cannot be beaten until “Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane shall come.”

Four of these predictions are realized during the course of the play, but one is not. We do not see Banquo’s children become kings; however, the real King James I was thought to be descended from Banquo, so there could still be truth to the "Macbeth" witches' prophesy.

Although the three witches appear to have great skill at prophesying, it's not certain if their prophecies really are preordained. If not, do they simply encourage Macbeth to actively construct his own fate? After all, it seems to be part of Macbeth’s character to shape his life according to the predictions (whereas Banquo does not). This might explain why the only prophecy not realized by the end of the play relates directly to Banquo and cannot be shaped by Macbeth (although Macbeth would also have little control over the “Great Birnam Wood” prophecy).

The 'Macbeth' Witches' Influence

The witches in "Macbeth" are important because they provide Macbeth’s primary call to action. The witches' prophesies also affect Lady Macbeth, albeit indirectly when Macbeth writes his wife about seeing the "weird sisters," as he calls them. After reading his letter, she's immediately prepared to plot to murder the king and worries her husband will be too "full o' th' milk of human kindness" to commit such an act. Although Macbeth initially doesn't think he could do such a thing, Lady Macbeth has no question in her mind that they would succeed. Her ambition steels him.

Thus, the witches' influence on Lady Macbeth only increases their effect on Macbeth himself—and, by extension, the entire plot of the play. The "Macbeth" witches provide the dynamism that has made " Macbeth " one of Shakespeare’s most intense plays.

How the 3 Witches Stand Out

Shakespeare  used a number of devices to create a sense of otherness and malevolence for the "Macbeth" witches. For example, the witches speak in rhyming couplets, which distinguishes them from all other characters; this poetic device has made their lines among the play's most memorable: "Double, double toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."

Also, the "Macbeth" witches are said to have beards, making them difficult to identify as either gender. Last, they are always accompanied by storms and bad weather. Collectively, these traits make them appear otherworldly.

The Witches' Question for Us

By giving the "Macbeth" witches their plot-pushing role in the play, Shakespeare is asking an age-old question: Are our lives already mapped out for us, or do we have a hand in what happens?

At the end of the play, the audience is forced to consider the extent to which the characters have control over their own lives. The debate over free will versus God's preordained plan for humanity has been debated for centuries and continues to be debated today.

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The history of the witches in Macbeth

  Hovering through the fog and filthy air of Macbeth, the weird sisters are a terrifying chorus to the action of the play

Head of Research

by Dr Will Tosh

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Magic and devilry were on people’s minds in 1606, the year Macbeth was first performed. England’s new Scottish king James was known to his subjects as a committed opponent of witchcraft and a scholar of black magic. And less than two years after James’s succession, and perhaps six months before Shakespeare started writing Macbeth , the country was profoundly shaken by the exposure of the Gunpowder Plot, the failed attempt by a group of English Catholic dissidents to assassinate the king and all the members of parliament in a huge explosion. Preachers were quick to detect demonic encouragement behind the plot.

Macbeth , Act I, scene 1 in the Munro First Folio.

The dread of supernatural horror hangs over Macbeth , and Shakespeare was very aware that his play would be taken as a comment on the Scottish king’s escape from devilish treason (it’s even been suggested that the smell of the sulphurous gunpowder used at the Globe to simulate lightning flashes would have reminded the audience of their monarch’s near miss).

But if the witches are the central focus for this atmosphere of terror, Shakespeare never lets his characters refer to the prophetic threesome as ‘witches’, although they’re termed as such in the speech prefixes and stage directions. For Macbeth and Banquo, the two characters who encounter them, they are ‘weïrd women’ or ‘weïrd sisters’, that unfamiliar umlaut indicating how early modern people said this ancient word (with two distinct syllables). In fact, in the First Folio, the earliest surviving text of Macbeth , the word is variously spelled ‘wayward’, ‘weyward’ and ‘weyard’, all of which would have been pronounced the same way in 1606: ‘WAY-rrd’.

Billy Boyd, Cat Simmons, Moyo Akandé and Jess Murphy as Banquo and the witches in Macbeth , 2013. Photographer: Ellie Kurtz

Shakespeare took this unusual word from his main source for Macbeth , Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland , in which the historical ‘Makbeth’ and ‘Banquho’ encounter ‘the weird sisters’, as Holinshed describes them, ‘goddesses of destiny, or else some nymphs or fairies, endowed with knowledge of prophecy’. In the play, the witches’ primary role is the provision of ambiguous fortunes which stir the ambitious Macbeth to action despite the fact that the details of his promised fate are decidedly sketchy (when will he be ‘king hereafter’? By what means? For how long?).

By the Renaissance, the word had lost its folkloric association but retained the broad meaning of ‘destiny’

So one interpretation of the weïrd women is less as traditional witches and more as potent prophets. In 11th century England and Scotland, a person’s fortune was determined by the workings of wyrd, a mysterious force that was both unavoidable and inexplicable. By the Renaissance, the word (now spelled ‘weird’) had lost its folkloric association but retained the broad meaning of ‘destiny’. Also in play in early modern England was the classical notion of feminised ‘Fates’, goddesses like the Morai of ancient Greece who dictated the scope of a person’s life.

Kirsty Rider in Macbeth , 2018. Photographer: Johan Persson

Early modern audiences would have heard another meaning in ‘weïrd’, too, as the First Folio spellings suggest. To them, the word sounded the same as ‘wayward’, an insulting term meaning ‘disobedient’ or ‘perverse’. ‘Wayward’ was frequently applied to women who were perceived to be outspoken or quarrelsome (cardinal sins according to the misogynistic theories of Shakespeare’s England). Women who asserted their wisdom and knowledge might well find themselves castigated as ‘wayward’, and if they were vulnerable and unlucky that ‘waywardness’ might be interpreted more darkly as sorcery or witchcraft.

Moyo Akandé, Cat Simmons and Jess Murphy as the witches in Macbeth , 2013. Photographer: Ellie Kurtz

Which bring us back to the weïrd sisters. Their ‘weirdness’ was, from Shakespeare’s perspective, both ‘wyrd’ and ‘wayward’, powerful and marginal. For Shakespeare’s first audience, they were figures who represented England’s ancient past and the mysterious magic of prophecy. But the ‘withered’ and ‘wild’ sisters were also examples of what was becoming a familiar stereotype in an England newly attuned to the ‘risks’ of sorcery: poor, disregarded and insulted old women whose wisdom, if acknowledged at all, could be understood only as witchcraft.

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The Witches

The witches - supernatural.

The play begins with the witches. This sets a supernatural theme from the start and puts the audiences (who hated and feared witchcraft) on edge. The witches are immediately shown to be evil characters.

'Weird sisters'

• The witches are also called the 'weird sisters' . This has roots in classical mythology: the three 'wyrd' sisters were the fates, who knew men's destinies.

Meeting Macbeth

• The audience see them planning to meet Macbeth. This suggests that nothing that happens is accidental.

Significance of the number three

• The witches often speak or work in threes.
• Throughout history, the number three has frequently been seen as a magical number.
• In Greek and Roman mythology, witches who talked about fates (the wyrd sisters) were in a group of three. In Norse mythology, there were also a group of three women who made predictions about the future.
• The Rule of Three is a pagan belief – it states that whatever energy witches put into the world will be returned to them three times.
• In Macbeth , the witches seem to be in a group of three, and speak in threes, to strengthen their power.

Cannot be controlled

• When the witches speak with Macbeth and Banquo, they only give them a little information.
• Macbeth orders them to stay, but they disappear: 'Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more.' (1,3)
• This shows that he cannot control the witches' actions (or his own fate).

• The spirits that the witches conjure (make appear by magic) are 'their masters' . This shows that supernatural beings or creatures control them.

Graymalkin and Paddock

• The witches talk about 'Graymalkin' and 'Paddock' (1,1).
• These are a cat and a toad. People believed that witches had animal helpers to help them do their wicked deeds.
• Shakespeare relates to these characters to show the audience that they are wicked creatures.

The Witches - Evil

The witches symbolise the evil of witchcraft in the following ways:

Relevance of the sieve

• The idea that one of the witches can sail in a sieve ( 'in a sieve I’ll thither sail' (1,3)) is related to the accusations made against the Berwick witches.
• These were a group of people accused of trying to harm King James I when he returned with his new wife across the North Sea.
• Shakespeare makes it very clear that these women embody (express) all the evil-doing associated with witches at the time.

Inhumane looking

• When Macbeth and Banquo first see the witches, Banquo doesn’t know what they are: 'What are these, / So withered and so wild in their attire, / That look not like th' inhabitants o' th earth, / And yet are on' t?' (1,3).
• The witches don't look human. Their clothing is 'withered' and 'wild' . This suggests that they don't live like normal members of society.

Ugly appearance

• Banquo struggles to identify whether they are women or not: 'you should be women / And yet your beards forbid me to interpret / That you are so' (1,3).
• Their unconventional (not normal), even ugly appearance is perhaps to remind the audience of how unattractive witchcraft was. Women who practised it started to look inhumane.
• This shows Shakespeare conforming to the ideas of Jacobean England, where the supernatural was feared and seen as unnatural. Those who practised it were viewed as evil – the witches’ ugly appearance may echo this apparent inner-evil.

Disrupt the natural order

• The witches chant the line 'Fair is foul and foul is fair' (1,1). This shows that the natural order of things is already being disrupted and this will continue throughout the play.
• The natural order is disrupted because of the witches.
• Nature becomes harsher (lots of bad weather, like thunder and lightning), the God-appointed king is murdered, friendships are severed, children are killed before their parents (Macduff’s son is slaughtered in front of his mother), and Lady Macbeth takes her own life before her time.

• At the start of Act 1, Scene 3, the witches are talking about what they have been doing.
• The Second Witch says things like 'killing swine' - this suggests that the witch has been harming animals.
• The first witch says a story about how she plans to torture a sailor whose wife refused to share her chestnuts: 'Bit in a sieve I'll thither sail, / And like a rat without a tail, / I'll do, I'll do and I'll do' (1,3).
• Immediately, the witches are shown to be ruthless and evil – they harm things just because they can, or because they cannot get their own way.

The Witches - Casting a Spell

In Act 4, Scene 1, the witches meet to cast a spell. This scene is full of exotic and revolting ingredients, including parts of people's bodies and bits of unusual animals. The charm that they chant is one of the most famous parts of the play: 'Double, double toil and trouble, / Fire burn and cauldron bubble.'

Double meanings

• These lines show that the witches’ speeches (and their intentions) are full of double meanings – they are not what they appear, and they cannot be trusted.

Trochaic tetrameter

• Shakespeare usually writes in iambic pentameter, so this highlights the witches as unusual.
• This structure shows that the witches speak in a different way to everyone else and that they are doing something incredibly important, as they stress these harsh sounds and repeat the lines themselves.
• This moment is almost a threat to Macbeth – they are chanting and aiming their spell at him, and it is a powerful spell.

1 Literary & Cultural Context

1.1 Context

1.1.1 Tragedy

1.1.2 The Supernatural & Gender

1.1.3 Politics & Monarchy

1.1.4 End of Topic Test - Context

2 Plot Summary

2.1.1 Scenes 1 & 2

2.1.2 Scene 3

2.1.3 Scenes 4-5

2.1.4 Scenes 6-7

2.1.5 End of Topic Test - Act 1

2.2 Acts 2-4

2.2.1 Act 2

2.2.2 Act 3

2.2.3 Act 4

2.3.1 Scenes 1-3

2.3.2 Scenes 4-9

2.3.3 End of Topic Test - Acts 2-5

3 Characters

3.1 Macbeth

3.1.1 Hero vs Villain

3.1.2 Ambition & Fate

3.1.3 Relationship

3.1.4 Unstable

3.1.5 End of Topic Test - Macbeth

3.2 Lady Macbeth

3.2.1 Masculine & Ruthless

3.2.2 Manipulative & Disturbed

3.3 Other Characters

3.3.1 Banquo

3.3.2 The Witches

3.3.3 Exam-Style Questions - The Witches

3.3.4 King Duncan

3.3.5 Macduff

3.3.6 End of Topic Test - Lady Macbeth & Banquo

3.3.7 End of Topic Test - Witches, Duncan & Macduff

3.4 Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.4.1 Grade 9 - Lady Macbeth Questions

4.1.1 Power & Ambition

4.1.2 Power & Ambition HyperLearning

4.1.3 Violence

4.1.4 The Supernatural

4.1.5 Masculinity

4.1.6 Armour, Kingship & The Natural Order

4.1.7 Appearances & Deception

4.1.8 Madness & Blood

4.1.9 Women, Children & Sleep

4.1.10 End of Topic Test - Themes

4.1.11 End of Topic Test - Themes 2

4.2 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.1 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.2 Extract Analysis

5 Writer's Techniques

5.1 Structure, Meter & Other Literary Techniques

5.1.1 Structure, Meter & Dramatic Irony

5.1.2 Pathetic Fallacy & Symbolism

5.1.3 End of Topic Test - Writer's Techniques

Jump to other topics

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Exam-Style Questions - The Witches

--> directory . ' the cries. gone, master o' : I'll thither sail, without a tail, . , , that they know . as hay: ; : and pine: , , . , hand in hand, of the sea and land, and thrice to mine . ? What are these finger laying , Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! , or that indeed and great prediction and of royal hope, : to me you speak not. , kings, though thou be none: I know I am thane of Glamis; ; and to be king , as the water has, . As thick as tale , , that . ] , Act 1, Scene 4 _______ From . Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co. (Line numbers have been altered.) __________ With this scene the real action of the play begins. The first scene brought the witches before us; the second gave us a noble picture of Macbeth. Now the two parties, the tempters and the tempted, meet, and from their meeting and the witches' prophecy proceed directly all the remaining events of the story. The witches awaken in Macbeth the passion of ambition, which henceforth is the mainspring of his action. But we must not think that they in any way enchant Macbeth or compel him to do their evil will. After the meeting, as before, he is a free man, and can act or refrain from action as he sees fit. This is shown, in part at least, by the fact that Banquo, although also greeted by the witches with prophecies of future honour for his house, is not led on to any crime to make good the prophecy. There is something in Macbeth's own heart that receives and answers the greeting of the witches. This is Shakespeare's way of writing tragedy ; he makes the fate of his men and women depend upon their own characters, not upon chance or outside influences. In the first thirty-seven lines of the scene, the witches recount to each other the evil deeds in which they have been engaged since their last meeting. It is worth noting that these deeds are petty and vulgar; but just as every good deed — even the giving of a cup of cold water, — is a blessed thing, so every evil deed — even the killing of swine — is a delight to the powers of evil. This conversation, moreover, serves to identify the "weird sisters" of the play with the familiar witches of Elizabethan superstition. 2. . One of the commonest charges brought against supposed witches in Shakespeare's day was that they maliciously killed by pestilence, or the evil eye, the domestic animals of those they had a grudge against. 45, 46. . The witches lay their fingers on their lips to hush Banquo into silence. Their business is not with him, but with Macbeth; and they will not speak to Banquo until they have discharged their errand. 47. . Witches were generally thought of as bearded women. 49. . The witches, like ghosts, will not speak until they are spoken to; but as soon as Macbeth questions them, they break out in their triple hail. 50. . an old castle in Scotland, still standing. The title "Thane of Glamis" was hereditary in Macbeth's family. See line [73] of this scene. 53. . Macbeth starts because the witches' prophecy that he shall be king is an echo of his secret ambition. Indeed it would seem from his wife's words (i. 7. 48-52) that he had on some previous occasion gone so far as to plot the murder of Duncan. 57. , "honour," "honourable distinction," referring to the title of Thane of Glamis, which Macbeth then enjoyed. 58. , the hope, or expectation, of royalty. 59. , Macbeth is so struck with the greeting of the witches that he stands silent as in a trance, while Banquo speaks. 67-9. . The ambiguity of the witches' address to Banquo is in marked contrast to the directness of their speeches to Macbeth. He is to be "lesser than Macbeth" in rank, and "greater," because he will never be the slave of guilt; not so "happy," i.e, "fortunate," because he will never be king, "happier" because he will never fall from his estate. The prediction that he shall "get," i.e, "beget," kings, is also vague, since it only asserts that some of his descendants shall be kings. According to tradition, the royal house of Stuart sprang from Banquo's son, Fleance. [Please for much more on this subject.] 81. Note the different way in which the sudden vanishing of the witches affects Banquo and Macbeth. The former is only surprised; the latter regrets that they did not remain to tell him more. 88, 89. , etc, Macbeth cannot free his mind from the predictions of the witches, but he carefully avoids mentioning the most startling of them. 112. in this line is pronounced as a monosyllable like the Scotch "deil." 113, 114. , adorn me with honours that are not mine. 115. , he who formerly was the thane. Cawdor had already been deprived of his rank and possessions. 116. , under sentence of death. 128. , completely trusted. 134. , in matters of the greatest importance. 137. , the performance developing in my mind. 140. in this line should be contracted in reading into "I'm" to preserve the meter. 142. , make my hair stand up in fright. 144. , unnaturally. ________ Shakespeare, William. . Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co., 1904. . 10 Aug. 2010. ________ : The Complete Play with Commentary : Blank Verse and Rhymed Lines Character Analysis (Biblical) , Duncan and Shakespeare's Changes "Much of the dread, solemnity, and awe which is experienced in reading this play, from the intervention of the witches, is lost in its representation on the stage, owing to the injudicious custom of bringing them too forward on the scene; where, appearing little better than a group of old women, the effect intended by the poet is not only destroyed, but reversed." Nathan Drake. Website navigation Macbeth - Act 4, scene 1 Download macbeth. Last updated: Fri, Jul 31, 2015 PDF Download as PDF DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers HTML Download as HTML TXT Download as TXT XML Download as XML TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis) Download as TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis) Navigate this work Act 4, scene 1. Macbeth approaches the witches to learn how to make his kingship secure. In response they summon for him three apparitions: an armed head, a bloody child, and finally a child crowned, with a tree in his hand. These apparitions instruct Macbeth to beware Macduff but reassure him that no man born of woman can harm him and that he will not be overthrown until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane. Macbeth is greatly reassured, but his confidence in the future is shaken when the witches show him a line of kings all in the image of Banquo. After the witches disappear, Macbeth discovers that Macduff has fled to England and decides to kill Macduff’s family immediately. Stay connected Find out what’s on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved. Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Macbeth — The Witches’ Motivation in Macbeth The Witches' Motivation in Macbeth Categories: Macbeth William Shakespeare About this sample Words: 552 | Published: Mar 20, 2024 Words: 552 | Page: 1 | 3 min read Cite this Essay Let us write you an essay from scratch 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours Get high-quality help Dr. Karlyna PhD Verified writer Expert in: Literature + 120 experts online By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email No need to pay just yet! Related Essays 2 pages / 846 words 4 pages / 1786 words 2 pages / 1090 words 5 pages / 2287 words Remember! This is just a sample. You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers. 121 writers online Still can’t find what you need? Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled Related Essays on Macbeth The play features a series of betrayals and acts of deceit that drive the plot and lead to the tragic downfall of the characters. This essay will explore the role of deceit and deception in the play, analyzing how it contributes [...] In William Shakespeare's iconic tragedy "Macbeth," the landscape is densely populated with characters who drive the plot's twists and unveil the gloomy fates that envelop Scotland. Amidst the chaos stirred by ambition and [...] Shakespeare's Macbeth is a literary masterpiece that employs various rhetorical strategies to convey its themes and messages. The play is a tragic tale of a Scottish nobleman, Macbeth, who is driven by ambition to commit heinous [...] The play, Macbeth is a tragedy that explores the theme of appearance versus reality. Throughout the play, characters often deceive one another, leading to tragic consequences. This theme is central to the play and can be seen [...] Titus Maccius Plautus once said, “Nothing is more wretched than the mind of a man conscious of guilt.' This speaks to how a man will probably be tortured with guilt and regret when he is fully aware of his wrong doings. [...] William Shakespeare is a name recognised by many as one of the most acclaimed authors in English literature. His plays are known around the world, creating characters that you either love, hate, or pity. The play Macbeth is an [...] Related Topics By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails. Where do you want us to send this sample? By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. Be careful. This essay is not unique This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before Download this Sample Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper. Please check your inbox. We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together! Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less! We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy . Instructions Followed To The Letter Deadlines Met At Every Stage Unique And Plagiarism Free Advertisement Supported by critic’s notebook The ‘Weird’ History of Tim Walz’s Political Put-Down Once, the word signified supernatural things. In the mouth of Kamala Harris’s running mate, weirdness is much more earthbound. Share full article By Jason Farago Jason Farago is a critic at large who covers culture and its place in the world. Two inauguration days ago, after Donald J. Trump had been sworn in and delivered a raw diagnosis of “American carnage,” his predecessor George W. Bush walked off the Capitol dais and said to Hillary Clinton, as she reported it, “Well, that was some weird shit.” It was a prescient observation! Strange things have taken place in America lately, and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, whom Vice President Kamala Harris selected as her running mate on Tuesday, has made calling them out a rallying cry. “ These guys are just weird ,” he told the “Morning Joe” kaffeeklatsch a few weeks ago, the first of many assertions of abnormality that helped propel a once obscure state leader to the national ticket. May I briefly observe how curious it has been — how weird, if you prefer — to see this pithy term embraced so quickly? As a matter of political communication, weirdness can be a powerful epithet. But as a matter of cultural prestige, weirdness overtook normality long ago. It is not so much in the eye of the beholder as the believer, and there are good weirds and bad. Are you fonder of the glamorous weird of Björk or Lady Gaga (who performed at President Biden’s inauguration, for crying out loud), or the peculiar weird of Pee-wee Herman or Napoleon Dynamite? Are you, my dear weirdo, more like the bowling-alley oddballs of “The Big Lebowski” or the banana-nosed, chicken-besotted Muppet named Gonzo? Weirdness, as a cultural marker, is a designation of irregularity that is increasingly self-declared and celebrated. To turn it back to an accusation, as Mr. Walz has done, is wondrous strange. Weirdness has always been formidable, literally so in centuries past. Before it was an insult (flinged or reclaimed), weird actually signified power — and before it was an adjective, “weird” was a proper noun. In Anglo-Saxon Britain, Wyrd was a pre-Christian personification of destiny, who governed the fate of all things. She is invoked early in “Beowulf,” as the title hero prepares for battle with the monster Grendel. “Fares Wyrd as she must,” says Beowulf to Hrothgar, the king of the Danes. Do not mourn me if I die. The weird is the lord of man. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber?  Log in . Want all of The Times?  Subscribe . Macbeth Essay: Witches Essay Quick Reply Related discussions. Please may someone mark my Macbeth English essay How is the supernatural presented in Macbeth? Explore how Shakespeare presents attitudes to the supernatural Can someone correct my Macbeth essay PLS MARK THIS FOR GCSE'S: How is theme of supernatural presented in Macbeth english lit macbeth aqa Help For Macbeth Context - GCSE English Literature Macbeth study guide! Can someone please mark this essay for me Macbeth revision Macbeth Supernatural Essay help Predictions for English Lit paper 1 Macbeth and ACC AQA Macbeth 2024 Macbeth ambition in act3 scene 1 how is it presented Can someone mark my English Lit GCSE essay? Is there a chance that someone could mark my essay? Please could someone mark this Macbeth essay, AQA mark scheme AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1 (8702/1) - 13th May 2024 [Exam Chat] analysis for o full of scorpions is my mind kinghsip macbeth Last reply 4 days ago Last reply 2 weeks ago Last reply 3 weeks ago Last reply 1 month ago Last reply 2 months ago Articles for you Best video resources for revising GCSE or A-level English Finding a university place in Ucas Clearing 2024: 10 top tips to help you get ready Top 10 tips for Ucas Clearing 2024 Bringing business people into the classroom: what students learn from industry professionals 165 IMAGES The Purposes of the Three Witches in Macbeth Essay Example Shakespeares presentation of the witches in Macbeth Essay Example Witches Influence on Macbeth Witches Role in Macbeth Play: [Essay Example], 1433 words GradesFixer The importance of the witches and Supernatural to 'Macbeth' Free Essay Witchcraft in Shakespeare's Play Macbeth (Essay) COMMENTS The Role of The Three Witches in Shakespearean Play Macbeth The essay suggests that while the witches played a significant role in manipulating Macbeth's thoughts and desires, Macbeth's choices and actions were driven by his own free will. Despite the influence of the supernatural, Macbeth had opportunities to change course but lacked the willpower to do so, ultimately sealing his tragic fate. The Witches The witches, often referred to as the three "weird sisters," are Macbeth's dark and mysterious guides on his descent into evil and tyranny. The play opens with their premonition that "fair ... How the 'Macbeth' Witches Drive the Play's Plot The Five Prophesies of the 'Macbeth' Witches. During the play, the "Macbeth" witches make five key prophesies: Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor—and eventually King of Scotland. Banquo's children will become kings. Macbeth should "beware Macduff.". Macbeth cannot be harmed by anyone "of woman born.". The role of the witches in influencing and contributing to Macbeth's Secondly, the witches play an important role in bringing Macbeth's ambition to the fore. Their prophecies, for example, open Macbeth's eyes to the possibility that he can be more than just a thane ... The history of the witches in Macbeth The history of the witches in Macbeth. Magic and devilry were on people's minds in 1606, the year Macbeth was first performed. England's new Scottish king James was known to his subjects as a committed opponent of witchcraft and a scholar of black magic. And less than two years after James's succession, and perhaps six months before ... The witches' prophecies and statements in Macbeth In Macbeth, act 1, scenes 4-5, what do the witches say to Macbeth? Macbeth 's meeting with the Witches actually occurs in Act I , Scene 3. The Witches call Macbeth by his current title, Thane ... Witches Role in Macbeth Play: [Essay Example], 1433 words The focus of the essay is on the witches' influence on Macbeth and his actions. The sentence structure is generally clear and varied, though there are some awkward constructions that detract from the overall flow of the essay. Grammar is generally good, with a few minor errors. The essay is written in the third person, which is appropriate for ... The Importance of The Witches' Prophecies in Macbeth In conclusion, the witches' prophecies in Macbeth play a vital role in shaping the narrative and exploring important themes. These prophecies act as a catalyst for the characters' ambition, raise questions about fate versus free will, and highlight the corrupting nature of unchecked ambition. The prophecies not only drive the plot forward but ... The Witches The natural order is disrupted because of the witches. Nature becomes harsher (lots of bad weather, like thunder and lightning), the God-appointed king is murdered, friendships are severed, children are killed before their parents (Macduff's son is slaughtered in front of his mother), and Lady Macbeth takes her own life before her time. Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3 The first scene brought the witches before us; the second gave us a noble picture of Macbeth. Now the two parties, the tempters and the tempted, meet, and from their meeting and the witches' prophecy proceed directly all the remaining events of the story. The witches awaken in Macbeth the passion of ambition, which henceforth is the mainspring ... Macbeth Act 4, scene 1. Scene 1. Synopsis: Macbeth approaches the witches to learn how to make his kingship secure. In response they summon for him three apparitions: an armed head, a bloody child, and finally a child crowned, with a tree in his hand. These apparitions instruct Macbeth to beware Macduff but reassure him that no man born of woman can ... The representation and thematic significance of the witches in The witches in Macbeth symbolize chaos, evil, and the supernatural. They represent the dark forces that influence Macbeth's actions and foreshadow his downfall. Thematically, they highlight the ... The Witches' Motivation in Macbeth: [Essay Example], 552 words One possible motivation for the witches' actions in Macbeth is their desire to exert their power and influence over mortal beings. Throughout the play, the witches display a sense of superiority and control, manipulating the lives of the mortal characters for their own amusement. Their ability to foresee the future and manipulate events gives ... Macbeth Essay: The Witches In the caricature play, the witches are displayed to illustrate a suspicious and daunting setting, surrounding the contemporary audience which leaves them on the edge. In act 1 scene 1, the three witches are shown to be "upon the heath" where "thunder and lightning" is occurring. The use of pathetic fallacy used in the opening really ... The influence of the witches' prophecies on Macbeth What impact do the witches' prophecies have on Macbeth in Act 1, Scene 3? At this stage, Macbeth is transfixed by the possibility of his success. He is intrigued by the three promises made by the ... The 'Weird' History of Tim Walz's Political Put-Down The witches on their blasted heath are weird in the original sense: unearthly, uncanny, what Banquo calls "fantastical." Their warts and rags may make them scary. Their warts and rags may make ... Macbeth Essay: Witches Essay Macbeth Essay: Witches Essay. A. Leah Brayshaw. 12. Hello, I've written an essay on how the witches are provoked in the play 'Macbeth'. Enjoy, any feedback would be great and a predicable grade if able to. In the eponymous play 'Macbeth', the three witches are presented to almost illustrate the setting surrounding the contemporary ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis