the witches

• supernatural act one: look not like th'inhabitatnts o'th'earth' - said by banquo


  banquo depicts their overt evil and dehumanises them in his description. the witches physiognomy exposes them as inhumane and evil. banquo is portrayed as perceptive as it was believed he was an ancestor of James I, this is form of indirect flattery.
• supernatural act one: 'instruments of darkness'


  said by BANQUO

  suggesting their evil masculinity, perhaps showing how their words are almost hypnotic for, macbeth. revealed as they speak in a trochaic tetrameter, giving their speech and eerie song like quality.
• appearance vs reality act one: 'fair is foul and foul is fair'


  they speak in paradoxes and oxymorons. seen when they chant this phrase - their speech is conflicting and what they appear to say does not correlate with reality. their conflicting language is notable throughout the entirety of the play reinforcing their deceitful intentions.
• appearance v.s reality act four: [an isolated place. thunder]


  'isolated' creates an image of restriction, illuminating how they want to restrict macbeth mentally and physically so it is easier for them to employ their deception. the lack of light - 'lightning' from act one alludes to how they will continue to keep macbeth in the metaphorical dark about their intentions.
• violence act one: [thunder and lightning]


  shakespeare pairs the witches introductions with pathetic fallacy, the atmosphere is ominous and dangerous from the start. this could foreshadow the violence that will commemorate throughout the play. the disrupted weather being nature's fury at this coming violence - divine right of kings, god as omnipotent.
• gender act one: [beards]


  throughout the text masculinity is synonymous with power thus this description illustrates them with a threatening dominance. therefore they appear androgynous, and alike to LADY M, express gender non-conformity.