Act 1, Scene 1: The Witches' Dark Introduction
You're thrown straight into chaos as thunder and lightning crash across the stage whilst three witches plan their next meeting. This isn't just dramatic effect - Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy (when weather reflects mood) to create an instantly sinister atmosphere that warns you something terrible is coming.
The witches speak in rhyming couplets with a specific rhythm called trochaic tetrameter, making their words sound like actual spells. This unnatural speech pattern immediately shows they're not ordinary people - they're something far more dangerous and otherworldly.
Their famous line "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" is a perfect example of how Shakespeare uses paradoxes (contradictory statements) throughout the play. This warns you that in Macbeth's world, appearances are deceiving and you can't trust what seems obvious.
Quick Tip: Notice how the witches mention meeting Macbeth before we've even seen him - this immediately links our protagonist to evil forces and hints at his tragic fate.
The scene ends with the witches disappearing into "fog and filthy air," reinforcing that they don't move like normal people and leaving the audience unsettled and curious about what's to come.