Witchcraft, Murder and Ghosts in Macbeth

Witchcraft, Murder and Ghosts in Macbeth

A notable point within Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is the use of the three witches in the opening scene. The number of witches for a contemporary audience can go unnoticed. However in the time that Shakespeare the symbolic meaning of the number three was important, as it symbolized unluckiness and when remembering the fear of the unnatural and being unlucky (epitomized by such historical events as the rage of witch trials within Britain). This is not the only symbolism within the play, the use of the disparity between light and dark is an important concept. We can perhaps see the parallel between the horror movies of today, and the images of witchcraft, murder and ghosts of the past.

Firstly in the initial scene of Act IV there are a number of references to the number three.

First Witch: "Thrice the brinded cat hath mew.d" (1)

Second Witch: "Thrice and once the hedge-pig whin'd" (2)

First Witch: "Days and nights hast thirty-one" (7)

First Witch: "Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten

Her nine farrow;" (65)

All of these examples refer to the number three, or the denominator of nice. The final example of the number three used is within the fourth act with Macbeth...

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... of Shakespeare enjoy an aura of immortality because we see in Shakespeare the mirror of the human condition with which we may all identify and gain a sense that in some strange way his plays are a reflection of our souls.

Bibliography

The Tragedy of Macbeth New Haven: Yale University Press Revised 1994

Shakespeare's Macbeth Total Study Edition Coles Editorial Board 1990

Holinshed R. Historie of Scotland (2nd Ed. Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland 1587) "Historie of Scotland"

Paul. Henry N. The Royal Play of Macbeth 1950 pp. 213-17

Bradley A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy 1912 pp. 468-9