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Show How The Witches Are Used In Show How The Witches Are Used In Macbeth To Develop The Plot And Create Tension For The Audience In his plays, Shakespeare liked to please his audience and create as much tension as possible. At the time he composed Macbeth there was a massive witch-mania around England which was supported fondly by King James 1 st. Therefore, it motivated Shakespeare to produce a play, which involved witches and the supernatural. The first scene in the play is entirely performed by the witches.
By having the witches at the start of the play it makes the audience believe that the play will be evil, as the audience dislikes them. When the witches say? In thunder, lightning or in rain, ? it is imposed upon that the future is sinister and bad. This greatly affected the audience back then and it would have angered the audience as they abominated the witches. It would still affect our audience today, but the audience would like the fact that bad things would happen as it intensifies the play, rather than the audience being angered by the presence of the witches.
The witches mention the names Gray malkin and Paddocks calls. These ghastly names help put across to the audience what the witches are like. When the witches say? ? Fair is foul and fair is foul, ? it puts across that the witches are hags and are vile.
This develops the plot as it suggests that sinister things will happen. In act 1 scene 3, Shakespeare uses the witches to draw the audience into the play further by having supernatural happenings. These are two quotes which support this; ? I?
ll give thee a wind, ? spoken by the second witch. When the first witch threatens? I?
ll drain him dry as hay, ? the witches are displaying that they are casting a spell. This motivates the audience, as they know the witches are going to punish someone. Therefore, the audience reflects anger towards the witches because of their disliking to witches. Later in the scene the witches meet Macbeth and greet him by saying, ? All hail to Macbeth to thee, Thane of Games.
All hail to thee Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Cawdor. All hail Macbeth that shalt be King hereafter. ? When the witches say this, the audience is led to believe that the witches can predict the future. By calling Macbeth these titles it also confuses the audience it also confuses the audience, as they wonder how can Macbeth possibly be king?
Especially if Macbeth is not the aire to the thrown. Therefore, this part of the play indicates that major events will happen in the future, which develops the plot of the play. Ross enters the scene later and tells Macbeth and Banquo that the King has made Macbeth the new thane of Cawdor. This tells the audience that the witches can predict the future but it leaves the audience confused.
The thought of Macbeth being King is nominal so the audience knows something catastrophic must happen. In act two scene 1 Macbeth sees a dagger in front of him but he cannot grasp it. Macbeth feels as though he is going crazy. He says? Mine eyes are made the fools o? th?
other senses. ? However the dagger is the influence of the supernatural and it shows the audience that the witches have a big part in the play. The supernatural though, scares the audience, as the dagger is the sign of evil, which represents the vision of the witches. During act three scene four, Macbeth indicates that to the audience that he now believes the witches. Macbeth quotes? I will tomorrow and betimes I will to the weird sisters.
More shall they speak. For now I am bent to know, by the worst means, the worst for mine own good, all causes shall give way. ? By saying that, it shows Macbeth has changed because of the witches, as at the start of the play he did not believe the witches. Therefore, that indicates that the witches had infiltrated the Kingdom of Scotland and that it is truly evil like the witches. In act four scene one, Macbeth meets with the witches again. The witches this time give Macbeth bad news.
They say to him? Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff, beware the Thane of Fife, dismiss me enough. This tells Macbeth that he should fear Macduff. This tells the audience that Macbeth isn? t immortal and that something atrocious could happen to him.
The second quote? The power of many for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. ? This indicates that a super natural influence will affect Macbeth and the audience dislikes it because of the supernatural. When the third apparition says? Macbeth shall never be vanquish be until Great Birnam wood to High Great Dunsinane Hill. Shall come against him. ?
This fascinates the audience the audience as they wonder; how can Birnam Wood move to Dunsinane Hill? The audience then believes that Macbeth must be safe from danger and that the witches are lying. This suggests that the witches are wrong and always will be whatever has happened in the past, so this pleases the audience. Shakespeare used the witches and supernatural influences to present evil scenes and events. As witches were hated, so much at the time, Shakespeare composed the play; it was a perfect opportunity to use witches, as the audience would be more interested and entertained in the play. By having the witches speak in rhyme it seemed more real for the audience, as people believed that when witches cast spells they spoke in rhyme.
The rhyme also made the witches sound more evil so that the audience would dislike them more. Special effects such as thunder and lighting were used to make it look as though the witches had a strong, dominant presence whilst also looking increasingly evil as more special effects are used. So as the further into the play you go the witches help develop the play by adding more sinister and evil events, whilst keeping the audience entertained. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
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