The Weïrd Sisters: Interpretations of the Witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a bloody play dealing with fate, revenge, and prophecy. In his landmark tragedy, Shakespeare tells the tale of Scottish war general, Macbeth, who encounters three witches, dubbed the “weïrd sisters,” that prophesize his becoming king. Emboldened by their prophecies and the support of his wife, he embarks on a spree of murders that ultimately earn him the throne, but at the cost of his being haunted by the image of those he betrayed and eventually being killed for his treachery. The Weïrd Sisters, in particular, have always been particularly fascinating characters and devices to me. Supernatural happenings and beings are, obviously, not uncommon in Shakespeare’s works. These witches, however, have an exceptionally large role in facilitating the plot of Macbeth. They begin the show with an eerie sort of prologue: “When shall we three meet again? / In thunder, lightning, or in rain?” (1.1.1-2). In the first two lines, a storm is brewing, immediately creating a sense of unease about what is to come. In the end of the short scene, the three chant the token line, “Fair is foul and foul is fair,” (1.1.12) setting the tone for the entire play, one of mischief, deceit, and foul deeds.

One aspect of the Weïrd Sisters I am especially intrigued by is their relationship to time. They are, of course, the ones who initially prophesize Macbeth’s rise to the throne (1.3.51-73), but each of the three, individually, also seems to represent time in a different way, that is, the first witch represents the past, the second represents the present, and the third represents the future. This is evident in the way they speak, specifically which lines each has. It is noticeable first in Act One, Scene Three, when they each hail Macbeth: “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. / All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor. / All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.51-53). In this collection of lines, each of the witches references a different position of Macbeth’s: Thane of Glamis, which he was before the start of the play, Thane of Cawdor which, unbeknownst to him, he has just become (1.2.73-78), and king, which he will become later on in the play (2.4.41-44). Again, when they approach Banquo, it is the Third Witch who foretells what will become of his future: “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” (1.3.71), that is, that his son will see the throne, but he will not. This, again, rings true, as after Macduff slays Macbeth, Malcom becomes the new king of Scotland. While this is a theory at best, I do find Shakespeare’s construction of these three characters interesting in how they operate as a unit but still each have a distinct persona. Their seemingly calculated manner of prophesizing engages Macbeth in such a way that he must decide for himself how to interpret the information and whether to trust these “imperfect speakers.”

That leads to another interesting question of interpretation for me, one that is often raised in different interpretations of the play: are the Weïrd Sisters really witches or are they, perhaps, merely some odd old ladies in the woods from whom Macbeth hears what he wants to hear? Roman Polanski’s film adaptation can be and often is seen as the latter. Rupert Gold’s 2010 soviet-inspired adaptation can also be read this way with the witches being represented as terrifying nurses. I tend to lean, however, toward their being truly supernatural, given that Shakespeare frequently uses the supernatural in his plays and an Elizabethan audience was likely more afraid of such beings than a modern audience would be. The witches do seem to have knowledge of the future that seems impossible, and the apparitions in Act Four, Scene One are difficult to explain away, both of which seem to point to truly supernatural happenings. One could, however, argue that Macbeth is the one to act on their prophecy. He carries out Duncan’s murder, making him king. He arranges the murder of Macduff’s family, setting Macduff after him. The Weïrd Sisters’ prophecies do not come true by natural means, so to speak. Macbeth and his wife, emboldened by their claims, choose to make the prophecies true. This begs the question of if, maybe, Macbeth only heard what he wanted to hear; and, if, maybe, he used the ramblings of these odd women in the woods to justify actions that would satisfy his need for power. By Act Four, Scene One, Macbeth has already proven himself unstable by breaking down at a dinner party at the sight of Banquo’s ghost. Again, one cannot know if the ghost is real or a figment of Macbeth’s guilty imagination. It could be interpreted either way, but if one chose to interpret it as a hallucination, that could explain the appearance of apparitions in Act One, Scene Four; for, again, he hears what he needs to hear: that he will be safe “until / Great Birnam Wood to High Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him” (4.1.105-107). It is a difficult question without any true answer. In the end, we cannot know what Shakespeare himself believed. It is a great opportunity for divisive directorial choice.

Image from the Mary Evans Picture Library.