Other
Macbeth - The Witches Character quotes
- Course
- Institution
Key quotes for the witches from Macbeth with analysis and context
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
arwasyed
Reviews received
Content preview
The Witches Quotes ‘Thunder and lightning’
Pathetic fallacy – establishes the witches as powerful puppet
masters (‘the instruments of darkness’) who can use dark magic to
cause disorder in the natural order
Sets an ominous mood, since stormy, dark weather is typically
symbolic of destruction
‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’
Paradox
Reveals witches’ evil and manipulative nature
They see ‘foul’ deeds as ‘fair’ and ‘fair’ deeds as ‘foul’
They cause havoc and invert the Christian moral order
Cause characters (Macbeth) to mix up what they think is good and
bad
‘Hover through the fog and filthy air’
Fog clouds Macbeth’s vision
Mirrors their deception and reinforces their connection with
obscuring and darkness
‘Sweltered venom…like a hell broth boil and bubble’
Hell imagery
‘Venom’ symbolises poison – like ‘gall’
Highlights Macbeth’s impending doom and eternal damnation
Intoxicating and deceiving Macbeth as they falsely claim ‘none of
women born shall harm Macbeth’
‘When shall we three meet again?/In thunder, lighting or in rain’
Pathetic fallacy – chaos and intimidation – foreshadowing trouble
that is going to come
Banquo calls them ‘the instruments of darkness’
The witches are agents of disorder and chaos
Evil, wicked, negative
‘darkness’ is a tool to hide actions – Macbeth kills Duncan at night
– ‘blanket of darkness’
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller arwasyed. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $0.00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
78252 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now