Influence of Three Witches on William Shakespeare's Macbeth

Influence of Three Witches on William Shakespeare's Macbeth

The three weird sisters' in the play of Macbeth have a vital role in

dictating how the play is going to turn out. They achieve this in many

ways that I will endeavour to explain. The three sisters appear in the

play three times, once at the very beginning when they set the scene

for the whole play, then they appear in Act 1 Scene 1, the last time

we see or hear of then is in act 4 scene 1.

In the first scene, which is very short, only 14 lines long, the

witches are on a beach where a battle had just been fought. They are

all gathered around a cauldron where they are making up some sort of

potion, which enables them to talk to the spirits. After this

gathering they arrange a meeting place where they are going to meet

Macbeth. Just before they leave they say a rhyme that is very complex

and one must read the whole play before being able to full understand

it properly,

"Fair is Foul, as Foul is Fair

Hover through the Fog and Filthy air."

I think what they are trying to say in this first scene is that they

know what the future holds and they want to do something about it so

that the people concerned know what is going to happen in advance and

can be prepared. I think that they have some sort of power that

enables them to know when Macbeth is going to cross paths with them.

The second time we see them is in Act 1 Scene 3,it is just after

Macbeth and Banquo have been praised by the king for their great

efforts in the battle, especially Macbeth who has just gained the

title of Thane of Cowdor. The two of them meet up with the Witches on

a heath some-where in Scotland.

When they enter the witches are chanting around the cauldron, after

they have finished they tell Macbeth and Banquo some news. The three

witches tell the two of them that Macbeth will be the Thane of Glamis