Setting: A cave with a cauldron boiling and the witches present. The first section of this scene is the witches chanting the ingredients to their potion (including human liver, baby fingers, dragon scale, shark teeth, frog, poisoned entrails, etc). then Hecate comes and commend them of their effort, saying they will be rewarded. Then Hecate vanish’s and Macbeth enters confidently, demanding that they answer his questions, no matter if “Though you untie the winds and let them fight
Against the churches; though the yesty waves
Confound and swallow navigation up;
Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down;
Though castles topple on their warders’ heads;” The witches then add some more ingredients to the potion and 3 apparitions appear.
The first is a armed head, like a knight, says to Macbeth “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;
Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.” and then “descends”-probably through the floor….. this apparition is warning Macbeth of Macduff, confirming Macbeths suspicions and fear of him.
The second is a bloody child, and it says “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!” “Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.” then descends also…. This apparition is saying Macbeth can be bold, because no-one born from a woman (that means everyone) can hurt him. This also starting to hint Hecate’s idea of offering Macbeth immortality.
The third is a crowned child holding a tree in its hand, like a king, and says “Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him.” then descends. I think this apparition is telling Macbeth not to worry about anything or anyone, because he “shall not be vanquish’d” untill a paticular forest moves places to Dunsinane hill, where the castle is. Macbeth is very happy, as that is not going to happen, so effectively he has been told he wont be vanquished, or destroyed.
Macbeth is pleased, but still wants to ask his most burning question, “tell me, if your art
Can tell so much: shall Banquo’s issue ever
Reign in this kingdom?” He wants to know if Banquos son Fleance will still become king or not. the witches say “Seek to know no more.” Macbeth says he will curse them if they dont, so the witches send a parade of 8 ghost kings, all looking like, or very similar to Banquo, the last one holding a glass that shows him many more, representing a long line of “Banquo” kings. Macbeth is clearly shaken, and the witches tease him and then vanish.
Lennox then arrives and reports that Macduff has fled to England, planting a seed of doubt in Macbeths mind, for the witches has warned him of Macduff. He decides then to go to his castle and kill his family, even his children, while he is gone. he then decides from now on he is going to be decisive and act out his thoughts, when he says “from this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand. “
He now has no conscience stopping any evil actions…….
