MACBETH
Act I scene III
In this scene which is known as the temptation scene we renew our
acquaintance with the witches of the second time. The introductory lines and
rather a continuation of the first scene and recreate the same atmostphere of
supernatural awe. The first witch is much incensed by a sailor’s wife who had
insultingly refused to give her son chestnuts when she begged for a few . Here
the witch is expressing here determination to take revenge. She knows that
the sailor had gone to Alleppo, as the master of the ship, the Tiger. She would
sail in a sieve and follow the ship in the shape of a tailess rat and cast a spell
on the sailor . She would drain all the blood from his body to make him as pale
nd dry as hay. Sleep for all the time, deses hi eyelids and would make his life
miserable like a man under a curse like a person excommunicated from the
church over a period of 81 weeks, he would lose his flesh, languish and blood
away. Though she would be unable to destroy his ship but would raise a
mighty storm on the raging seas. Shakespeare is here mentioning the current
superstitious heat witches could do impossible thing and destroy by means of
their witchcraft. The witches once again evoked an atmostphere of evil.
‘ So foul and fair a day had not seen’ is a very significant line uttered by
Macbeth when he appears on the heath, near the forest along with banquo.
The witches have just been passed. Their spell is on the ground after dancing
nine times in a ring. The near repetition of the same phrase is likely to leave
the audience to mentally connect Macbeth with the witches.
The three witches have held Macbeth which is present title as well as with
fair prophesies. Banquo finds him starting with surprise and so addresses the
weird sister with more prophesies. Banquo says that the first witch has called
his noble partner ‘Thane of Glemis’- a title he’s already in possession of, the
second one greeted him as ‘Thane of Cowdar’ with high distinction he is yet to
obtain and the third one has held him as future king which for present is
nothing but a istant hope. They are prophetic words that had a tremendous
effect on Macbeth’s mind , so much that he sunk deeply in thought. Banquo
goes to ask the witches if they have such deep insight into the womb of the
future, why they refrain from foretelling something about his own future ,
although he neither begs their favours nor fears their anger. The witches
reciprocated that Banquo will not be a king but his issue will not be as happy
as Macbeth but much more happier later on.
Word vocabulary
hurly-burly: the din and tumult of battle
ere: before
Paddock: toad
Anon: at once
Hover: hang or remain in air