Witches and Hecate Act 4 Quotations

Question 1

Analyse the quotation - “Double, double ____ and trouble, fire ____ and cauldron bubble”

Answer 1

Toil, burn

The specific rhyme scheme used demonstrates how the witches are duplicitous and influence Macbeth to do so since their actions are planned out very methodically. The imagery of cauldron bubbling and fire burning also foreshadows a great demise of Macbeth as they are working to bring about his fate through hellish chemicals.

Question 2

Analyse the quotation - “Something ______ this way comes”

Answer 2

Wicked

The pronoun used to refer to Macbeth, alongside the adjective demonstrates Macbeth’s evil and links to Satan, as even witches who most likely utilised evil spirits view Macbeth as a lesser creature, more evil than them, since they can know people’s true desire. Additionally, since the witches represent Satan, this would imply Macbeth is an evil even more deplorable than Satan.

Question 3

Analyse the quotation - “None of ______ born shall ____ Macbeth”

Answer 3

Woman, harm

This quotation indicates the witches duplicity, since they tell half truths. The only person who is able to harm Macbeth is Macduff since he was ‘from his mother’s womb untimely ripped’, but Macbeth falsely believes he is immortal. These half truths entice Macbeth to feed into his ambition since he feels safe in their knowledge. The dramatic irony of this being that the intention of the witches is to lead Macbeth to damnation like Satan tempts humanity from a contemporary Christian perspective.