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Macbeth - The Witches Character quotes
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Key quotes for the witches from Macbeth with analysis and context
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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’
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