Read the following extract from Act 1, Scene 3 and then answer the question that follows.
At this point in the play Macbeth and Banquo have just spoken with the Witches. Macbeth
has been told he will be King.
MACBETH(aside) Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme. (to ROSS and ANGUS) I thank you, gentlemen.
(aside) This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor.
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man
That function is smothered in surmise,
And nothing is but what is not.
Starting with this extract, write about how Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the
supernatural.
Write about:
How Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s reaction to the witches
How Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural in the play as a whole.
Introduction
Outline: Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s reaction to the witches to explore the profound
impact that the witches begin to have on him and his conscience.
Main Points:
Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as inherently unnerving. It is
something to be feared and not embraced.
Shakespeare presents the witches prophecies as unduly convincing through
Macbeth’s reaction to the witches, tricking even a once noble Thane in Macbeth to
commit multiple atrocities.
Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as falling short of an all-
powerful force- it is Macbeth’s own actions which secure the success of the witches’
prophecies.
Paragraph 1
Point: Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as inherently unnerving. It is
something to be feared and not embraced.
,Evidence: 1. “Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair” (Macbeth), 2. “make my seated heart
knock at my ribs” (Macbeth)
Technique: Personification (Quote 1&2)
Explanation: Macbeth’s ‘vaulting ambition’ is still not fully realised yet, so the audience are
still witnessing Macbeth’s tentative response to the possibility that he might be King. These
quotes specifically reference his discomfort with the messengers of such prophecy: the
witches. He recognises that there is something inherently unnatural about the witches, to
the extent that it provokes a physiological reaction from him that is unusual. Their
appearance messes up his hair and metaphorically makes his heart knock at his ribs, both
unusual physiological phenomena’s.
Context: The stereotype for the appearance of witches was for them to have a repulsive
look, something that appears unnatural and defies the appearance of a regular woman.
Witches were portrayed as old women with hunched backs and often had large moles on
their body. There was even a book written in 1486 called ‘The Malleus Maleficarum’ training
people to examine women’s bodies for marks and moles. Indeed, the witches in Macbeth
were said to have beards, so it is unsurprising that Macbeth found their appearance
repulsive.
Link: This demonstrates that witches were unnerving and repulsive.
Paragraph 2
Point: Shakespeare presents the witches prophecies as unduly convincing through
Macbeth’s reaction to the witches, tricking even a once noble Thane in Macbeth to commit
multiple atrocities.
Evidence: 1. “This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good” (Macbeth) 2.”If ill,
why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor.”
(Macbeth)
Technique: Repetition or anaphora (quote 1), Short declarative sentence- “I am thane of
Cawdor” (quote 2)
Explanation: Knowing that the witches deliver supernatural prophecies, Macbeth is initially
hesitant to believe it. Despite this, in his line of speech immediately after, he tries to
rationalise the witches’ prophecies, asking why if they are ‘ill’, that they have given him great
success and a new title alongside it. This is perhaps the beginning of Macbeth’s downfall;
Macbeth experiences success as a result of dark forces and disregards the nature of the
forces. Macbeth is outcome-oriented, which blinds him from the conniving nature of the
witches.
Context: It was believed in Jacobean England that witches were extremely powerful, casting
curses and spells on the innocent. Indeed, King James I had his own experiences with
, witches, believing that witches were encouraged by the devil to plot his destruction on
Halloween night in North Berwick in 1590. The supernatural was so unnerving for people in
Jacobean England because they thought that they had formed a pact with the devil.
Link: Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as powerful and convincing.
Paragraph 3
Point: Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as falling short of an all-
powerful force- it is Macbeth’s own actions which secure the success of the witches’
prophecies.
Evidence: 1. “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, only vaulting ambition which
o’erleaps itself” (Macbeth), 2.“Stars hide your fires, let light not see my black and deep
desires” (Macbeth)
Technique: Metaphor (Quote 1), Rhyme/riddle (Quote 2)
Explanation: It is clear that it is not the witches and supernatural forces alone that spur on
Macbeth to first kill King Duncan. The prophecies only give Macbeth the boldness to pursue
what ultimately his ambition has always wanted: to be powerful and revered. The horse
metaphor exemplifies how his actions move at a faster pace than his rational thoughts.
Context: To assign all the blame to the witches is to overlook how Shakespearean tragedies
are usually framed. As the tragic hero, Macbeth was always going to fall foul not of the
witches’ prophecies alone, but of his own fatal flaw, namely his ambition. As the tragic hero,
he necessarily had to face a struggle between good and evil, with Macbeth’s ambition
leading him to choose evil. It is the realities of his ambition, which is vindicated by the
witches’ prophecies, which leads to his damned fate.
Link: Shakespeare presents the witches and the supernatural as not the only elements to
blame for Macbeth’s downfall: Macbeth must accept significant responsibility.
Conclusion: *Reiterate three main points*
At this point in the play Macbeth and Banquo have just spoken with the Witches. Macbeth
has been told he will be King.
MACBETH(aside) Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme. (to ROSS and ANGUS) I thank you, gentlemen.
(aside) This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor.
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man
That function is smothered in surmise,
And nothing is but what is not.
Starting with this extract, write about how Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the
supernatural.
Write about:
How Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s reaction to the witches
How Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural in the play as a whole.
Introduction
Outline: Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s reaction to the witches to explore the profound
impact that the witches begin to have on him and his conscience.
Main Points:
Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as inherently unnerving. It is
something to be feared and not embraced.
Shakespeare presents the witches prophecies as unduly convincing through
Macbeth’s reaction to the witches, tricking even a once noble Thane in Macbeth to
commit multiple atrocities.
Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as falling short of an all-
powerful force- it is Macbeth’s own actions which secure the success of the witches’
prophecies.
Paragraph 1
Point: Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as inherently unnerving. It is
something to be feared and not embraced.
,Evidence: 1. “Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair” (Macbeth), 2. “make my seated heart
knock at my ribs” (Macbeth)
Technique: Personification (Quote 1&2)
Explanation: Macbeth’s ‘vaulting ambition’ is still not fully realised yet, so the audience are
still witnessing Macbeth’s tentative response to the possibility that he might be King. These
quotes specifically reference his discomfort with the messengers of such prophecy: the
witches. He recognises that there is something inherently unnatural about the witches, to
the extent that it provokes a physiological reaction from him that is unusual. Their
appearance messes up his hair and metaphorically makes his heart knock at his ribs, both
unusual physiological phenomena’s.
Context: The stereotype for the appearance of witches was for them to have a repulsive
look, something that appears unnatural and defies the appearance of a regular woman.
Witches were portrayed as old women with hunched backs and often had large moles on
their body. There was even a book written in 1486 called ‘The Malleus Maleficarum’ training
people to examine women’s bodies for marks and moles. Indeed, the witches in Macbeth
were said to have beards, so it is unsurprising that Macbeth found their appearance
repulsive.
Link: This demonstrates that witches were unnerving and repulsive.
Paragraph 2
Point: Shakespeare presents the witches prophecies as unduly convincing through
Macbeth’s reaction to the witches, tricking even a once noble Thane in Macbeth to commit
multiple atrocities.
Evidence: 1. “This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good” (Macbeth) 2.”If ill,
why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor.”
(Macbeth)
Technique: Repetition or anaphora (quote 1), Short declarative sentence- “I am thane of
Cawdor” (quote 2)
Explanation: Knowing that the witches deliver supernatural prophecies, Macbeth is initially
hesitant to believe it. Despite this, in his line of speech immediately after, he tries to
rationalise the witches’ prophecies, asking why if they are ‘ill’, that they have given him great
success and a new title alongside it. This is perhaps the beginning of Macbeth’s downfall;
Macbeth experiences success as a result of dark forces and disregards the nature of the
forces. Macbeth is outcome-oriented, which blinds him from the conniving nature of the
witches.
Context: It was believed in Jacobean England that witches were extremely powerful, casting
curses and spells on the innocent. Indeed, King James I had his own experiences with
, witches, believing that witches were encouraged by the devil to plot his destruction on
Halloween night in North Berwick in 1590. The supernatural was so unnerving for people in
Jacobean England because they thought that they had formed a pact with the devil.
Link: Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as powerful and convincing.
Paragraph 3
Point: Shakespeare presents witchcraft and the supernatural as falling short of an all-
powerful force- it is Macbeth’s own actions which secure the success of the witches’
prophecies.
Evidence: 1. “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, only vaulting ambition which
o’erleaps itself” (Macbeth), 2.“Stars hide your fires, let light not see my black and deep
desires” (Macbeth)
Technique: Metaphor (Quote 1), Rhyme/riddle (Quote 2)
Explanation: It is clear that it is not the witches and supernatural forces alone that spur on
Macbeth to first kill King Duncan. The prophecies only give Macbeth the boldness to pursue
what ultimately his ambition has always wanted: to be powerful and revered. The horse
metaphor exemplifies how his actions move at a faster pace than his rational thoughts.
Context: To assign all the blame to the witches is to overlook how Shakespearean tragedies
are usually framed. As the tragic hero, Macbeth was always going to fall foul not of the
witches’ prophecies alone, but of his own fatal flaw, namely his ambition. As the tragic hero,
he necessarily had to face a struggle between good and evil, with Macbeth’s ambition
leading him to choose evil. It is the realities of his ambition, which is vindicated by the
witches’ prophecies, which leads to his damned fate.
Link: Shakespeare presents the witches and the supernatural as not the only elements to
blame for Macbeth’s downfall: Macbeth must accept significant responsibility.
Conclusion: *Reiterate three main points*
