the witches

• What might the witches symbolize in Macbeth?


  External evil and the Devil's representatives
• According to the text, what physical feature do the witches have that makes them seem unnatural?

  Bearded faces
• How do the witches' prophecies affect the characters in the play?

  They are deliberately misleading
• What are the witches doing before they deliver their first prophecies in Act I, Scene III?

  Plotting evil acts of torture
• What aspect of nature do the witches disrupt?

  Storms and spells
• What is the ultimate goal of the witches' disruptive actions?

  To disrupt the Great Chain of Being
• What role do the witches play regarding fate in the play?

  Predicting consequences of characters’ actions
• What psychological role might the witches play in Macbeth?

  Manifestations of characters’ evil selves
• By not being part of "God's natural order", what are the witches perceived as?

  Supernatural or unnatural
• What is the goal of the witches when they seek to disrupt "God's authority over the world"?

  To overthrow established hierarchy
• What does it mean that the witches "can be seen as agents of fate?"

  They reveal inevitable consequences