The Witches' Prophecies - Key Moments

The scene opens with Macbeth uttering the eerily familiar line "So foul and fair a day I have not seen" - unknowingly echoing the witches' own words from earlier. When Macbeth and Banquo encounter these supernatural beings, Banquo immediately questions their nature, noting they "look not like the inhabitants o' the earth."

The witches deliver three crucial prophecies to Macbeth: hailing him as Thane of Glamis (his current title), Thane of Cawdor (a surprise), and finally declaring "thou shalt be king hereafter." Meanwhile, Banquo learns that although he'll never be king, his descendants will rule. These predictions plant the first dangerous seeds of ambition in Macbeth's mind.

Macbeth's reaction reveals much about his character. He's visibly startled by prophecies that should sound "fair," suggesting he may already harbor secret desires for power. When the witches vanish, he desperately wishes "they had stay'd" to explain more, showing how quickly he's become fixated on their words.

💡 Notice the dramatic irony when Macbeth dismisses becoming Thane of Cawdor as impossible because "the thane of Cawdor lives" - little does he know that he will soon receive this title, making the witches' other predictions seem more credible.

The scene is filled with paradoxes and ambiguity - from the witches' appearance (women with beards) to their riddling prophecy for Banquo (lesser yet greater than Macbeth). This creates an atmosphere of confusion where reality itself seems unstable, perfectly setting the stage for Macbeth's descent into darkness.