Weird Sisters

The Three Witches/ Weird Sisters in

Macbeth

                      


Shakespeare's Three Witches, or the Three Weird Sisters, are characters in Macbeth. We were introduced to the three witches in the opening scene, Act 1, Scene 1 where they were at a desolate place. Their conversation is filled with paradox and equivocation: they say that they will meet Macbeth "when the battle's lost and won" and when "fair is foul and foul is fair". This paradoxical theme is present throughout the play.

In Act 1, Scene 1, we ackowledge their supernatural powers by their prophetic abilities and through their familiars, Graymalkin and Paddock. When they "hover through the fog and filthy air" we are suggested the traditional notion of witches flying through the night sky in brooms.
                                              

 This scene portrays the witches as evil beings with prophetic powers.
They know that Macbeth will fight and that he will emerge victorious.