The Witches Make Their Entrance
Picture this: thunder crashes, lightning splits the sky, and three witches appear on a desolate battlefield. They're planning their next meeting with Macbeth, speaking in riddles that'll make your head spin.
The witches use paradoxical language - saying things like "fair is foul, and foul is fair" - which basically means nothing is what it seems. This contradiction becomes a major theme throughout the entire play, so pay attention to it.
They're accompanied by their familiar spirits (Graymalkin the grey cat and Paddock the toad), which were believed to be devils in animal form. The whole scene screams supernatural danger and sets an ominous tone that haunts the rest of the play.
Key Point: The witches speak in equivocation - deliberately confusing language that has double meanings. This foreshadows how deception will destroy lives later in the play.
