Witches / Supernatural

• description

  • sinister
  • scheming
  • prophetic
  • deceiving
• " Hover through fog and filthy air "
• associated with bad weather - pathetic fallacy
• linked with stage directions - " Thunder and Lightning " whenever they appear
• " When will we three meet again in thunder , lightning or in rain "
• " Fair is foul and foul is fair "

  • oxymoron
  • oppose each other
• paradoxical language - want to confuse
• " Hover through fog and filthy air "

  " Fog " - shroud their evil actions

  • cloud Macbeth's mind with prophecies
• " Hover through fog and filthy air "

  " Filthy air "

  • disrupting natural order
  • corrupt the very thing that keeps us alive
  • all consuming
• Three prophecies

  • Hail to thee, Thane of Cowdor - Macbeth
  • Thalt shalt be king thereafter - Macbeth
  • Thou shalt get Kings, thou be none - Banquo
• 2nd prophecies

  • Beware Macduff
  • No man born of woman can harm Macbeth
  • Macbeth will be king until Birnham wood marches to high Dunsinane hill
• Apparitions

  • an armed head
  • a bloody child
  • a child, crowned , holding a tree
  • line of kings, starting with Banquo - Banquo's heirs will be king
• " Hell broth "/ "owlet wing "
• " Hell broth "/ "owlet wing "

  • Macbeth earlier referred to as an owl
  • clipping his wings - removing his power
• " By the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes "
• " By the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes "

  • supernatural control
  • commanding power over Macbeth that we cannot understand
  • ' something wicked ' - reference to Macbeth
  • his morals have changed