Power Through Influence: The Witches of Macbeth

Creatures of the Supernatural In Shakespeare's time people thought that the Devil represented itself in the form of witches. King James I said that any one found to “use, practice, or exercise [of] any sort of witchcraft, sorcery, charm or enchantment” would face the death penalty Witches were thought to possess supernatural abilities: they could fly, make people ill, conjure visions, make themselves invisible, conjure storms

The Role of the Witches: Equivocation The witches are the ultimate example of equivocation (multiple interpretations with the intent to mislead) - consider the six prophesies We can interpret their role as a moral one, intended to help ward the reader from invoking the supernatural to feed their own ambitions (subverting the Chain of Being)

The Opening of the Play Act 1 Scene 1: “When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning or in rain?” The weather is symbolic of their role and what is to come: ambiguity, mystery, foreshadowing ominous events [a common Shakespearean device] “When the hurly-burly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won” = foreshadowing a disturbance

The Opening of the Play “Fair is foul and foul is fair” - confusing, they speak in paradox using alliteration = an early awareness that what these witches say it not necessarily what it first seems Macbeth also repeats this sentiment - “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” to emphasise the awareness that something ominous is coming Consider how Macbeth reacts to their words in Act 1 Scene 3 - he deems their words a “strange intelligence” that he cannot initially reconcile with his role in Duncan’s Court

The Prophesies A prophesy is defined as a statement that an event will come to pass in the future. We can describe the prophesies as equivocal: Macbeth relies on the literal meaning attached to each to justify his ambitions, and his actions to gain power. This eventually leads to his undoing

The witches reveal six prophesies to Macbeth over the course of the play. The first 3 are in Act 1 Sc 3; the second 3 are in Act 4 Sc 1. The Prophesies of Act 1 Scene 3: “Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!” “Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!” “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!”

The prophesies of Act 4 Scene 1: “Beware Macduff. Beware the thank of Fife.” “Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” “Macbeth shall never be vanquished until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.”

Interpreting the Witches “Weird” comes from Old English “Wyrd” meaning ‘fate’ - therefore, one can interpret the witches as the representatives of fate, and that fate had a large role in the lives of the Elizabethans Macbeth’s Interpretation: The witches literally suggest what will happen in the future He must act on predictions to gain truth Banquo’s Interpretation: The witches possibly control elements that may affect the future Must not act on their musings…if so, disaster may follow

Links to Power? The witches represent a personification of “Fate”, which held power over the lives of the Elizabethans This notion of ‘pre-determination’ eliminates free will, and therefore man’s power over his own fate One can say that Macbeth’s attempt to create his own future based on the prophesies defies Fate and the Chain of Being The witches’ function is to remind the audience of the dangers of influence and the potential deadliness of ambition, and that Fate is best left alone