Explore The Overall Mood Of The Opening Scene Of Macbeth

As the play opens with an ominous scene portraying the three weird sisters, determining when they shall meet again. The overall tone of the picture is very dull, and cryptic, as the audience isn’t certain of what is happening at the moment.

Firstly, there isn’t much information given- the weird sisters discuss some mysterious reconvening, and at what time they will. It seems as if they are foretelling an event, as one adds that they’ll meet “When the hurly-burly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.” Readers are left wondering what battle this witch is referring to, and whether it is of importance. This gives the scene an uncertain aura, and creates suspense.

Furthermore, by utilizing the imagery created through “Hover through the fog and filthy air.”, it creates a dirty, grey mood to the scene. This quotation illustrates a foggy area, most likely isolated and barren, where not many people go. This also draws interest however, as the audience is left hanging onto their last words of the scene, wondering what will happen next.

Moreover, this scene almost introduces the theme of free will versus fate, as the weird sisters already know where Macbeth will be, and where they need to go to meet up with him. Additionally, their words sound like quasi-prophecies, because of their cryptic-sounding nature, which reinforces the idea of fate over free-will. This initial concept brought up will definitely be mentioned throughout the play, as different events indicate free will, while others indicate