THE WITCHES

Question 1

The Witches
Line of Arguement

Answer 1

The witches provide a catalyst for Macbeth’s ambition and his actions within the play by representing fate.

Question 2

Act 1 Scene 1: The
Witches open the
play by chanting a
spell.

Answer 2

A1S1: ‘Fair is foul and
foul is fair, / Hover
through the fog and filthy
air.’

Question 3

A1S1: ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair, / Hover through the fog and filthy
air.’

Answer 3

• The paradox "Fair is foul and foul is fair" suggests that
  things are not what they seem and foreshadows the
  deceptive nature of the characters and events. It sets the
  tone for the play's exploration of appearance versus reality.
• The witches' chant creates an eerie and foreboding
  atmosphere, with "fog and filthy air" emphasizing the murky,
  unclear, and morally corrupt world the characters inhabit
• The trochaic tetrameter rhythm reflects the theme of moral
  confusion and the blurring of moral boundaries, hinting at
  how the characters must navigate between what appears to
  be good and what is actually evil.

Question 4

Act 5 Scene 8:
Macbeth understands the consequences of listening to the Witches at the end of the play.

Answer 4

A5S8: 'juggling fiends no
more believed, that palter us in double sense’.

Question 5

A5S8: 'juggling fiends no
more believed, that palter us in double sense’.

Answer 5

• calling the witches ‘fiends’ symbolically represents the
  immoral, devilish influence of the supernatural, which
  Macbeth only accepts when it is too late to change.
• the ambiguity of the witches’ prophecies is described in a
  dismissive tone by Macbeth as ‘double sense’
• connotations of ‘juggling’ imply the witches mess with
  Macbeth’s fate, making him seem powerless.