Comment on the role of the three witches in the play Macbeth. (100-120 words)
Answers
Answer:
The Three Witches, also known as the Weird Sisters or Wayward Sisters, are characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth (c. 1603–1607). They hold a striking resemblance to the three Fates of classical mythology, and are, perhaps, intended as a twisted version of the white-robed incarnations of destiny. The witches eventually lead Macbeth to his demise. Their origin lies in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587), a history of England, Scotland and Ireland. Other possible sources, aside from Shakespeare's imagination, include British folklore, such contemporary treatises on witchcraft as King James VI of Scotland's Daemonologie, the Norns of Norse mythology, and ancient classical myths of the Fates: the Greek Moirai and the Roman Parcae. Productions of Macbeth began incorporating portions of Thomas Middleton's contemporaneous play The Witch circa 1618, two years after Shakespeare's death.
Answer:
The Three Witches, also known as Weird Sisters or Wayward Sisters, are characters in the William Shakespeare's play Macbeth (c. 1603–1607). The witches eventually lead Macbeth to the demise, and they hold the striking resemblance to the three Fates of the classical mythology. Their origin lies in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587), the history of England, Scotland and Ireland. Other possible sources, but aside from Shakespeare, including British folklore, contemporary treatises on witchcraft as King James VI of the Scotland's Daemonologie, the Witch of Endor from the Bible, Norns of Norse mythology, and the ancient classical myths of the Fates: Greek Moirai and the Roman Parcae.
Shakespeare's witches are prophets who hail Macbeth early in play, and predict his ascent to kingship. Upon killing the king and the gaining the throne of Scotland, Macbeth hears from them ambiguously predict his eventual downfall. The witches, and the "filthy" trappings and supernatural activities, set an ominous tone for play.
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