BANQUO

Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear

Things that do sound so fair? I' the name of truth,
Are ye fantastical, or that indeed
Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction
Of noble having and of royal hope,
That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not.
If you can look into the seeds of time,
And say which grain will grow and which will not,
Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear
Your favours nor your hate.
First Witch
Hail!
Second Witch
Hail!
Third Witch
Hail!
First Witch
Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
Second Witch
Not so happy, yet much happier.
Third Witch
Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:
So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!
First Witch
Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!
MACBETH
Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:
By Sinel's death I know I am thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives,
A prosperous gentleman; and to be king
Stands not within the prospect of belief,
No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence
You owe this strange intelligence? or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.
(The Witches vanish)

Starting with this conversation, explain how far Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a
character who believes in the supernatural power of the witches.
Write about:
● How Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s reaction to the witches here
● How Shakespeare presents his beliefs in them elsewhere in the play

Plan
- Relies on them for information, trusts them more than his friends
 - Questions them, and then later is very easily convinced by them; shows he’s very
easily persuaded
- Asks where they get their information from - audience knows it’s the devil, but
Macbeth seems not to

Throughout ‘Macbeth’, Shakespeare presents Macbeth as reliant on other people, especially

the witches. He seeks them out, and even demands information from them, after they have
finished speaking. This insatiable desire reveals his misplaced trust in the supernatural, to
the point where he considers no other alternatives apart from one the witches give him. This
inevitably leads to his death, showing Shakespeare poignant message to never trust the
occult.

In this scene, Macbeth is shown to demand more information from the witches, almost
expectedly. Human nature is inquisitive, and so when strange women appear, and tell
Macbeth and Banquo the prophecies, he would understandably want to know more. This is
shown in his plea, ‘Stay...tell me more’. This shows his desire to hear and learn more, which
already would have been considered wrong by the audience. These women were obviously
witches, but instead of ignoring and turning away from them, as a good Christian in society
would have, he intently listens. This action is what led to all the chaos in the play, which all
stemmed from Macbeth’s obsession with the prophecies. Also, this quote hints at Macbeth’s
underlying passion around the supernatural, that Shakespeare develops later in the play.
Lastly, it signifies the start of Macbeth’s journey, deeper and deeper into the trust in the
occult, which got him killed in the end. Macbeth actively seeks the witches out, for more
information, which leads him to order the death of Macduff’s family. This would be the very
opposite of what people were expected to do in Shakespearean times, and Macbeth’s
downfall highlights this. His hamartia is his overconfidence in the power of the supernatural,
and his assumption that the witches are on his side. Shakespeare uses this whole play as an
example of what not to do; not to talk to witches, not to trust them, and certainly not to seek
them out.

In this scene, despite his intrigue, Macbeth does show some concern for where the witches’
prophecies came from. He questions their truthfulness, a subtle hint that they are actually
lying. He demands ‘say from whence you owe this strange intelligence’, even after he asks
for more prophecies. The word ‘strange’ reveals that this knowledge is not supposed to be
there, on Earth, with Macbeth. It is unnatural, just like the witches, but Macbeth still doesn’t
turn away. His almost hypocrisy highlights this dangerous character flaw; his over trust in the
supernatural power of the witches. Later in the play, Macbeth finds the witches, and tells
them, ‘Call ‘em, let me see ‘em’. His change in mindset, from inquisitive curiosity, both about
the prophecies and where they came from, to strong demands. This commanding tone
shows that Macbeth thinks the witches are under his command; that they do his bidding.
This may suggest that Macbeth is presented, by Shakespeare, as believing that the whole
supernatural is under his command. This signifies his connection to the occult, so much so
that he believes him in control of it! The witches manipulations throughout the play come into
action in the form of chaos, due to the two regicides, and a lot of fighting. Their
manipulations also appear in how Macbeth is so easily convinced, to the point of
desperation. King James, the king in Shakespeare’s time, was afraid of witches, and even
wrote books on him. He commissioned Shakespeare to write ‘Macbeth’, highlighting the
dangers of witches and the supernatural. Possibly, King James was worried of losing power
to the occult, as so many people could be influenced and controlled by it. This opposite
image, written by Shakespeare, shows the dangers that supernatural influence can have on
people’s lives, so much so that it was a reminder to all the audience to stay away from it.

Finally, Shakespeare highlights the aspect of the devil in this scene. Macbeth asks ‘Say from
whence you owe this strange intelligence’, which not only shows his timidity, but also shows
his stupidity. The very religious audience would instantly know that witches are the devil’s
advocates, but that fact that Macbeth doesn’t know this puts him in an ignorant spotlight. He
is assumed to either be stupid, or not religious which would be very frowned upon in
Shakespeare’s time, or actually associate with the occult. Neither option is good, and none
of them present Macbeth as the valiant, loyal hero as in the second scene in act 1.
Furthermore, he describes the witches as ‘secret, black and midnight hags’, which shows his
acknowledgement of their gothic appearance. This was also associated with the devil, gothic
being surrounded by the idea of death, the supernatural, and heaven and hell. The adjective
‘black’ has many negative connotations, including death and pain. Macbeth’s connection
with these witches shows not only his deep trust in their supernatural powers, but also the
direct connection between the powers and Macbeth himself. This would be extremely looked
down upon by Shakespeare’s audience, driving deeper the point about keeping apart from
witches.

The whole play contains, and seems to be based on, opposites. Macbeth’s bad example is
another of those opposites, showing the audience how not to act, and who not to associate
with. Macbeth’s repeated trust in the witches and the occult is a further example of a bad
example, as it is very deep and his trust goes beyond all boundaries, including his trust in his
friends, faith, and the natural order.

Your points are insightful and your analysis is sound. Try to keep your paragraphs centred
around a point or idea rather than including multiple ideas. Also, while your ideas are
complex and analytical, try harder to focus on the question; there are several times you have
neglected to link your concluding sentence back to the question.