Power Of The Three Witches In Macbeth

The tragedy of Macbeth is compounded by the magic of the three witches who goad him on in his ambition. The supernatural element of the play is very important, as established by the fact that the three witches are first to enter on stage accompanied by “thunder and lightning”, immediately catching the eye of the audience (I.i.1). Though they do not stay on stage for long, they foreshadow the tragedy of the play with their ominous speech of “fair is foul and foul is fair,” setting the grim and suspenseful nature of the play (I,i,11-12). The power of the witches frames the downfall of Macbeth by illustrating the influence foreshadowing has on the plans and character of Macbeth.

When Macbeth first meets with the witches, they tell him of his

oncoming rise to power. The audience has only heard of Macbeth up to this point, as people sang his praises for his role in the war as “brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name” (I.i.17). So his appearance in contrast to the witches, who he describes to have “beards” must paint him in a heroic light for the audience (I.iii.47). This contrast highlights the powers of the witches because they are the ones who manipulate Macbeth onto the road to ruin. Though they do have more magical powers that manifest physically, like the ability to call the wind and control the weather, it is their power of foresight that is the most powerful tool in their arsenal. The other powers just serve to highlight their petty and vengeful nature, as seen in the scene with the sailor’s wife (I.iii.1-37). Their description of his upcoming titles spur Macbeth’s ambition, prompting the thought of murdering Duncan in his mind after he receives the news that he has been named Cawdor, something he did not believe when the witches told him so. At the end of the play, they warn him of his doom truthfully but artfully, making it sound like the things that would have to come to pass were impossible. In Shakespeare’s time, it would have been difficult to believe that there could be someone who was not of “woman born” in society (IV.i.80). This makes Macbeth confident in his power and complacent in the battle against Macduff and the others, ultimately leading to his downfall. By taking the advice of the witches, who saw the future and told him of it, Macbeth assumed they were on his side, whereas the powerful witches were just looking to have some fun.
However, no matter how powerful the witches seem, there do seem to be limits to their abilities.

Throughout the play, all the spells and charms that have been cast have been done all together. This would suggest that their powers depend on one another and would be useless if separated. It could also be inferred that their power works in a pattern of three, or their magic is linked to that number and its multiples. When casting the curse against the sailor, the witches gave him “weary se’ennights nine times nine” and wind up the charm by saying “thrice to thine and thrice to mine and thrice again, to make up nine,” which would suggest some significance is attached to that number. The witches also seem subservient to Hecate, who was known in myth to be the goddess of magic. As such, their power is not as strong as hers, limiting the audience’s belief in their power. In the scene with Hecate, the witches move from being creepy, all-knowing beings to witches who are weaker than Hecate.

In the end, regardless of the extent of their powers or its limits, the witches are instrumental in the downfall of Macbeth. The element of the supernatural in the play makes it easier for the audience to believe that Macbeth could fall so quickly from grace, as the ambition the witches stir turns into a burning

flame.