Supernatural/Witches Flashcards
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”
Shakespeare introduces the Witches in the first scene of the play, thus giving special emphasis to their importance. Shakespeare’s use of parallelism in the paradoxical phrase “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” foreshadows the rest of the play. Mirrors Macbeths opening line- so fair and foul day I had not seen.
“stars hide your fires // let not light see my black and deep desires” and “fairest show // false face must hide what false heart doth know”
The structure of the Witches’ speech emphasises their supernatural characteristics. The rhythmic and chant-like nature of the Witches’ rhetoric implies that their words have real extraordinary power. Shakespeare, through linguistic techniques, uses this as symbolic of the supernatural and to connect other characters to the supernatural. This is evident as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth also speak in rhyming couplets at times when they are expressing evil or when they are controlled by the supernatural. For example, Macbeth says: “stars hide your fires // let not light see my black and deep desires” and “fairest show // false face must hide what false heart doth know” .
“thunder and lighting”
By opening the entire play with a scene revolving around the Witches, in “thunder and lighting” (pathetic fallacy), Shakespeare is being explicit in setting one of the major themes of the play as the supernatural. This also works to intrigue the reader - and suggests that the tension in the play will be caused by the presence of the Witches.
“hail to thee, thane of Glamis […] hail to thee, thane of Cawdor […] hail Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter.”
“Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none”
This scene and the Witches’ inclusion in it reaffirms the audience that a key theme of the play is the Supernatural. They state their predictions for Macbeth: “hail to thee, thane of Glamis […] hail to thee, thane of Cawdor […] hail Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter.” By the end of the scene, Ross has joined the characters and pronounces Macbeth thane of Cawdor, which solidifies Macbeth’s belief in their prophecies. They also predict for Banquo: “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” suggesting his descendants will be Kings, even if Banquo himself will not become one.
“I dreamed last night of the three weird sisters”
Banquo is also affected by the Witches, as he admits to dreaming of the witches: “I dreamed last night of the three weird sisters”. However, this occurs on the same day that Banquo met the Witches, prompting the question - had he been thinking of them before they met? Were Macbeth and Banquo already connected to the supernatural? This dream shows that they have influenced Banquo too, however he serves as evidence that the witches can be resisted and they do not have complete control as they give him a prophecy too, which he ignores. This response from Banquo is necessary for his character as he serves as the foil to Macbeth and to embrace the Witches would go against the purpose of his character.
