Calvin Chang

- by Analyzing the Weird Sisters

Macbeth,the protagonist in the play with the same name,is the tragic figure puzzled by the illusioned ambition which was predicted by the witches - the Weird Sisters. And the three sisters,which also be called the Fates,trick the king of Scotland by their scheme and trick to promote the plot development towards to the catastrophe of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. At the end of the drama,the tragic hero is ruined by the conceit of his own.

Compared to the other Four Great Tragedies of Shakespeare,Macbeth has more elements about the supernatural elements such as ghosts and witches who act as the prophet. The concept of witchcraft and the belief in its existence have existed since the dawn of human history. They have been present or central at various times, and in many diverse forms, among cultures and religions worldwide, including both "primitive" and "highly advanced" cultures,and continue to have an important role in many cultures today. Scientifically, the existence of magical powers and witchcraft are generally believed to lack credence and to be unsupported by high quality experimental testing, although individual witchcraft practices and effects may be open to scientific explanation or explained via mentalism and psychology.

Nonetheless,from 1450 to 1750,there was witch-hunting in Early Modern Europe while in the Kingdom of Great Britain,witchcraft did not cease to be an act punishable by law with the Witchcraft Act until 1735. The witch trials came in waves and then declined. What had previously been a belief that some people possessed supernatural abilities became a sign of a pact between the people with supernatural abilities and the devil. In England witch hunting would reach its climax in 1644 to 1647 due to the work of Matthew Hopkins. From 1450 to 1750,the number of trials reached to about 5,000 while the number of executions was about 1,500 in British.

However,Macbeth,which happened in the early 17th century - the period of the witch-hunting,appears three witches (or the people who possess magic) who play important roles in the tragedies. It is strange for Shakespeare to set the roles in Macbeth as witches rather than design the magical roles as angels or gods,while in the drama Macbeth does not kill the sisters rather than beg for guiding over times. The most likely reason why Shakespeare used the witches as the predictor is the bella figura of the Fates - the origin of the sisters.

The origin of the Weird Sisters lies in a variety of myths,including ancient classical myths of the Fates: the Greek Moirai and the Roman Parcae. Moirai, often known in English as the Fates,controlled the mother thread of lifestyle of every mortal from birth to death. They were independent, at the helm of necessity, directed fate, and watched that the fate assigned to every being by eternal laws might take its course without obstruction. The gods and men had to submit to them, although Zeus's relationship with them is a matter of debate: some sources say he is the only one who can command them, yet others suggest he was also bound to the Moirai's dictates.

By exploring the origin of the sisters we can conclude that the images of the Fates are positive and on the bright side. However,the three sisters in Macbeth can be totally described as weird. The Three Witches first appear in Act 1.1 where they agree to meet later with Macbeth. In 1.3, they greet Macbeth with a prediction that he shall be king, and his companion, Banquo, with a prophecy that he shall generate a line of kings. The prophecies have great impact upon Macbeth. As the audience later learns, he has considered usurping the throne of Scotland. The Witches next appear in what is generally accepted to be a non-Shakespearean scene, 3.5, where they are reprimanded by Hecate for dealing with Macbeth without her participation. Hecate orders the trio to congregate at a forbidding place where Macbeth will seek their art. In 4.1, the Witches gather as Hecate ordered and produce a series of ominous visions for Macbeth that herald his downfall. The meeting ends with a "show" of Banquo and his royal descendants. The Witches then vanish.

The Weird Sisters represent evilness, darkness, chaos, and conflict, while their role is as agents and witnesses. Their presence communicates treason and incoming misfortune. The witches' monologue in the first act: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air" is often said to set the tone for the remainder of the play by establishing a sense of moral confusion. Indeed, the play is filled with situations in which evil is depicted as good, while good is rendered evil. The line "Double, double toil and trouble," (often sensationalized to a point that it loses meaning), communicates the witches' intent clearly: they seek only to increase trouble for the mortals around them. 

Though the witches do not directly tell Macbeth to kill King Duncan, they use a implicit form of temptation when they inform Macbeth that he is destined to be king. By placing this thought in his mind, they effectively guide him on the path to his own destruction. This follows the pattern of temptation attributed to the Devil in the contemporary imagination: the Devil was believed to be a thought in a person's mind, which he or she might either indulge or reject. Macbeth indulges the allurement, while Banquo rejects it.

The paradox in the appearance of Fates and the three sisters reflects the intention of Shakespeare. In the time of Renaissance,it was active to use the myths of ancient Greek and Rome in the creation,especially the arts and dramas. Shakespeare emphasized the tragic ending of Macbeth which causes by the informing of the destiny in advance by using the myth of Fates,in order to warn the people it was unwise to predict their future. On the one hand,the caution of the paradox reminded people of the danger of the knowing to guide people understanding of the concept of religion. On the other hand,the discarding of the curiosity about destiny forced people to focus on the reality of they known to live in the moment. 

Compared to the three witches in Macbeth,Shakespeare attempted to guide the people to the value which had been stimulated by the Renaissance with the play and drama. Although it is confused that the witches appear in Shakespeare’s tragedy in the time of witch-hunting,the image of the witches impresses us so much of the weird Fates. The diversity between the Fates and the Weird Sister may become a paradox in writer’s mind because of the intention in his heart.

References: Wikipedia