witches

• Sets up the theme of paradox and deception

  “Fair is foul, and foul is fair; / Hover through the fog and filthy air.”
• they predict macbeth’s rise, planting the seeds of ambition

  “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! / Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! / Hail to thee, that shalt be king hereafter!”
• Calling macbeth wicked shows how he has become just as evil as them

  “By the pricking of my thumbs, / Something wicked this way comes.”
• Emphasizes their supernatural influence

  “Double, double, toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”
• “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff!”
• “None of woman born shall harm Macbeth.”
• “Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him.”
• But in a sieve I’ll thither sail
• I’ll drain him dry as hay
• The witches’ use of incomplete trochaic tetrameter in Macbeth creates an unnatural, unsettling rhythm that reflects their supernatural nature. The irregular meter contrasts with the more orderly speech of other characters, emphasizing the witches’ ability to disrupt natural laws and control fate. This jarring rhythm adds to the foreboding atmosphere, making their speech sound ritualistic and otherworldly, and foreshadows the chaos they will bring to Macbeth’s world. Their language underscores their power over the natural order and enhances the mystical, eerie tone of the play.