The Witches

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katy thoel
Mind Map by katy thoel, updated more than 1 year ago
katy thoel
Created by katy thoel over 7 years ago
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The Witches
  1. Shakespeare has them speak in rhyming couplets throughout "double double, toil and trouble, fire burn and couldran bubble" this shows how different they are to every other character. Every other character speaks in blank verse. Also no other charcaters act in the dancing chanting ways the witches do, symbolises difference. The chanting also give clues about on stage movement, such as the charms they are making.
    1. The Prophesies .= "Thane of Glamis" "Thane of Cawdor" and "King hereafter". All of these prophesies will confuse Macbeth because there is a "Thane of Cawdor" already and King Duncan is still alive. As these three prophesies were first, this shows an understanding of what will come. The next three Phrophesies are "beware Macduff", "for no one born a woman shall harm Macbeth" and "Macbeth shall never vanquish, be great until Birnam wood to high Dunsinane shall come against him" as the first 3 prophesies came true, these three show a pattern of what's going to happen. As the witches sat "until Birnham wood to high Dunsinane" this shows their supernatural power to predict the future. Also as Macbeth became "thane of Cawdor" previously, this seals how this will become truthful
      1. Hecate is the goddess in Greek mythology, considered to be the goddess of magic and witchcraft, This significance in the name shows the power she has over the other witches and everyone else. She remind the audience in ACT 3 scene 5 that the witches are the cause of all evil. "To trade and traffic with Macbeth" she wants macbeth to be a partner. "fatal end" we know she can predict the future so she has predicted how Macbeth will die.
        1. Shakespeare tries to appeal greatly to King James as he was obsessed with the supernatural. He includes Witches and Ghosts and hellhounds "turn hell-hound, turn" As the king was obsessed with the supernatural and Macbeth was connected with the supernatural, this could be a gesture towards King James and what could become of him
          1. The black humour throughout the play shows how inhumane the witches are. "eye of newt, toe of frog" As they are chanting, this shows that they are enjoying what they are doing. Also the chanting shows a rehearsed performance, suggesting they have done this before. The witches represent the evil within Macbeth. What the witches do shows what Macbeth is capable of doing.
            1. The Monarch James liked the supernatural so Shakespeare would have liked to appeal to what he liked. Also all the play wrights of Shakespeare's time were hired by the kind. Shakespeare included: Witches, ghosts, Hellhounds "turn hellhound turn" The king was overly obsessed with the supernatural just as Macbeth was connected with the supernatural. Shakespeare could be suggesting to James that if you start to become connected with the supernatural what happened to Macbeth could happen to you. Showing how its bad to trust witches and you shouldn't be a tyrannical ruler
              1. They were the cause of all Macbeths tyrannical ruling. This is because they influenced all his ideas "king hearafter" and the lead his astray. They did this by prophesising things and showing some have come true. Therefore showing Macbeth that all the other things will come true. However they did not control Macbeth "more in them than mortal knowledge" this is showing the mortal knowledge in Macbeths head is influenced by what the witches think and say.
                1. The opening of Act 1 Scene 3 recalls the supernatural, but also shadows the fate of Macbeths life. When the witches curse the sailor, this shows that the witches may be capable of curing Macbeth and what will happen to him
                  1. In Act 3 Scene 5, Hecate put "Destiny" and "Fatal end" at the end of 2 of the lines. This structure shows that Macbeth's life as being a tyrannical ruler will come to a horrible stop at the end of the play. The placement of the two words for being at the end of the lines shows it will be the end of the play and the end of Macbeth
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