Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth - Power of the Witches :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Power of the Witches in Macbeth Myths and religions often include divine or devilish beings with incredible powers. William Shakespeare incorporated witches with bizarre powers in his play, Macbeth. These witches possessed devilish powers to pit the course of events in the plot and added to the flavor of the story. The witches powers included omnientness, vision and vestige creation, and the ability to set the conditions for disaster, and the utilization of these abilities sets the movement of the play. As opening characters in the story, the witches establish the major theme of the tale and predict future events. Upon hinting of their insight to the closing of the war and revealing their relationship with demonic forces, the witches call out, Fair is foul, and foul is fair,(I, i, 12). In his first meeting with the Weird Sisters, Banquo questions the witches powers and asks, If you can look into the seeds of time and adduce which will grow and which will not?(I, iii, 65). The witches prophecies linger through the story and reveal their accuracy, and Banquo takes notice and comments to Macbeth, I dreamt last night of the three Weird Sisters. To you they choose showed some truth,(II, i, 25). The witches prophecies place an underlying thought in Macbeth and Banquos minds and hide there throughout their actions with an ever-present influence. Another influential power of the Weird Sisters was their ability to bring forth visions and apparitions. Early in the murder scene of Duncan, Macbeth sees a bloody dagger and in a phantasmagoric state, remarks, Thou marshalst me the way that I was going, / And such an putz I was to use,(II, i, 51). Macbeth also states, Witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecates offerings,(II, i, 60). Both of these statements may suggest a supernatural force in the affair. The witches powers also extend to the summoning of apparitions that name future events. The three apparitions tell Macbeth, Beware the Thane of Fife,(IV, i, 81), none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth, (IV, i, 91), and Macbeth shall never be vanquished be until / Great Birnham Wood to high Dunsinane hummock / Shall come against him,(IV, i, 106). These visions and apparitions, as seen later on, have a profound effect on Macbeths actions. The most significant power of the Weird Sisters lies in their ability to set the conditions for disaster.