The Weird Sisters in Macbeth The Three Fates The Weird Sisters in Macbeth

Greek Mythology Known as the “Moirai” They decide the individual fates of the ancient Greeks Clotho – “the spinner” Lachesis – “drawer of lots” Atropos – “inevitable”

Chaos Nyx Clotho Lachesis Atropos

The Three Old Weavers Their original purpose was to determine the fate of individuals at birth Typically envisaged as three old women they spun man’s fate like thread Clotho spun the destinies on her spindle Lachesis measured the length of the thread on her rod Atropos cut the thread with her shears

Shakespeare’s Witches Shakespeare's witches are prophets They make predictions of Macbeth’s rise as king. After Macbeth commits regicide to take the throne of Scotland, the trio delivers ambiguous prophecies threatening Macbeth’s downfall.

The witches' dark and contradictory natures and their association with the supernatural set an ominous tone for the play. Work under Hecate – leader of the witches and underworld They serve as a powerful influence upon Macbeth Their influence reaches the literary realm in such works as The Third Witch and the Harry Potter series.

Origins Shakespeare's Three Witches are found in the account of King Duncan in Raphael Holinshed's history of Britain, The Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1587). In Holinshed, Macbeth and Banquo encounter "three women in strange and wild apparel, resembling creatures of elder world" who hail the men with glowing prophecies and then vanish "immediately out of their sight." Shakespeare's creation of the Three Witches may also have been influenced by an anti-witchcraft law passed by King James nine years previous, a law that would stay untouched for over 130 years.

Why are they in Macbeth? Their role is as agents and witnesses Their presence communicates treason and impending doom During Shakespeare's day, witches were worse than rebels They were not only political traitors, but also spiritual traitors They straddle the play's borders between reality and the supernatural. It is unclear whether they control fate, or whether they are merely its agents. They defy logic, not being subject to the rules of the real world.

Fair is foul, and foul is fair” These are the witches' lines in the first act Are often said to set the tone and atmosphere for the remainder of the play Establishes a sense of moral confusion Indeed, the play is filled with situations in which evil is depicted as good, while good is rendered evil

“Double, double toil and trouble” The line is often sensationalized to a point that it loses meaning However it does communicate the witches' intent They seek only to increase trouble for the mortals around them