The Witches
In the catharsis of ‘Macbeth’ the three Witches are supernatural entities presented as characters
that aren’t inherently evil but certainly a representation of the dark temptation that lies dormant
within the depths of the human mind. The idea of desire has an intrinsic link to the supernatural
with the way that it allows for the seed of temptation to hasten its growth, but Shakespeare’s
message to the Jacobean audience is that while each individual is faced with the tribulations of
desire, its upon the separate person to either continue a pursuit or urge a restraint. In either case it
relies not on the influence of the supernatural catalyst, but the nature of the individual that it
affects.
‘Fair is foul and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air’ Act 1 Scene 1
The linguistic manipulation of ‘fair is foul The verb ‘hover’ means to The rhyming couplet of ‘fair’ and ‘air’
and foul is fair’ classes them as remain in the air. This idea connotes this idea of incantations and
equivocators (people give unclear of staying beyond growing power. Its significance at the
responses as a form of lexical exploitation). something is emulated in end of Act 1 Scene 1 suggests the
The immediate use of a paradoxical the notion that they are initiation of their spell of temptation
rhetoric in their first appearance instils this beings that transcend upon the characters of Macbeth and
confusion among the Jacobean audience nature, through the use of Banquo that they will soon meet.
from the witches’ introduction as it creates pathetic fallacy, gender, in
‘filthy air’ may be a reference to the
this lasting impression of an intrinsic link the contradiction within
desolate locations in which they’ve been
between their entities and a destruction of their descriptions and
forced to meet in as a result of their
the barriers separating good and evil and societal constructs,
marginalisation as agents of the devil.
appearance vs reality, whilst also through their presence
Despite these societal rejections, they
foreshadowing the utter chaos that only ever being in asocial
are able to use this isolation to their
wallowing in temptation cause and how spaces.
advantage as they completely evade any
one individual’s actions will lead to their
blame for the chaos for which they give
ascent whilst causing another’s fall.
momentum.
‘By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes’ Act 4 Scene 1
‘thumbs…comes’- Rhyming couplet is, again, an The adjective wicked is commonly used to
indication of casting a spell. Therefore, before describe a practice of sorcery, though its
the arrival of Macbeth they have already begun definition means ‘morally bad’. The
to chant and so the proceeding interaction witches themselves are never described
where Macbeth’s lexis mirrors the idea that he in such a way but they themselves
has grown superior in power is a mere illusion. describe Macbeth as ‘wicked’ which is
ironic as in King James I’s book of
The motif of hands symbolises responsibility
daemonology he says that the witches
and intent. The idea that a mere part of the
represent the devil’s influence on Earth.
autopodium of the hand is involve, that being
‘thumbs’, could be Shakespeare reinforcing the Therefore, this idea that Macbeth is
idea that the witches merely enlightened wicked and the witches aren’t, plunges
Macbeth to the desires within himself and so him below entities of darkness and aligns
they cannot take the blame for his sins, and so him with sinister connections to the devil
a diminished imagine of responsibility is himself as his evil is beyond anything
presented. Earthly.
, ‘When shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning or in rain? Act 1 Scene 1
The motif of weather is a macrocosmic Additionally, the layering of
manifestation of the chaos that disrupting ‘thunder, lightning or in rain’
the Divine Right of Kings has caused, represents the precision in
especially significant because nature their control as beings of
represents constancy and stability so the elevated power, allowing
ferocity in a construct of order represents them to hasten the downfall
the loss of stability in all structures be it of even the strongest
natural or artificial. characters, like Macbeth. This
highlights how nothing is
In this case, the meteorological occurrences
beyond the fate.
when the witches unite represent the grave
consequences of Macbeth’s actions reaching
beyond the personal microscale and
disrupting the macroscale of the natural
world.
Macbeth
The titular character of Macbeth is one that is initially represented as a valiant and loyal hero, but as
he falls victim to the poison of temptation he gradually plunges to a point of monstrous tyranny after
mistaking his hamartia of ambition for a drive to power. It’s because of his undying ambition for
more and more power that he continues to go down a route of malice after usurping the throne.
Shakespeare uses his character, and more importantly the play as a whole, to warn the Jacobean
audience that unchecked ambition is dangerous for the individual and society. Through this message
he creates an effective piece of royal propaganda, protecting the regal position of King James by
presenting those who oppose it as the tragic hero of Macbeth to deter people from such ways of
thought.
‘stars, hide your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires’ Act 1 Scene 5
The celestial imagery in ‘stars, hide your ‘Let not light’ directly contrasts the Bible in which God
fires’, conveys his credence in his strength, says, ‘let there be light’, thus Macbeth subtly but
as he commands an end to the ‘fires’, a undeniably rejects the world of the Christian God showing
symbol of illumination, representing how he his descent into evil.
wishes to conceal his malice from not only
the country, but the rest of the world too, Alternatively, ‘light’ could refer to Duncan as he’s often
perhaps hinting at the fact that he knows described with such semantics. This link between Duncan
the sins in his desire. Despite this, he still and a being of divinity is a result of the Jacobean construct
plans to go forth with his plans because of of the Divine Right of Kings, in which the king was at the
the chokehold his ambition has on his very top of the order of beings and had been appointed by
character. God himself.
Additionally, ‘black and deep desires’ shows his
acknowledgement of the fact that his temptations are
sinful. ‘black’ connotes impurity and malice, therefore it
being compounded with deep elicits the idea that not only
are his desires sinister, but deep down he is as well.
