Witches Function

• They are a reflection of genuine fears at the time - possibly included to appease the appetite of King James I
• They act as a driving force for Macbeth's ambition
• In a sense, they can be seen as a tool to exacerbate Macbeth's villainy - he seems evil even compared to these figures
• They add ambiguity to many aspects of the play: they blur the lines between appearance and reality, and throw into question whether fate is a real force