CHARACTER PROFILE: THE WITCHES.
The witches, or ‘weird sisters’ (act I, scene 3), appear before Macbeth and Banquo whilst they are out walking and tell them prophecies of what both of their futures hold.
They predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, while Banquo’s sons will be heirs to the throne although he shall never be king himself.
Their predictions begin the train of events that lead to many murders, the downfall of Scotland, and ultimately Macbeth’s death.
Motto
Speak. Demand. We’ll answer.
— Act IV, scene 1
Need to know
• Predict that Macbeth will become king
• Tell Banquo that his children will be kings
Key quote
The instruments of Darkness tell us truths; Win us with honest trifles, to betray us In deepest consequence
— Act I, scene 3
Also called
imperfect speakers
— Act I, scene 3
secret, black, and midnight hags!
— Act IV, scene 1
Titles
The Weird sisters
— Act I, scene 3
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Characters
Get to know the characters we meet in Macbeth
Discover MoreLanguage
Delve deeper into the language used in Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Discover MoreThemes
Everything you need to know about the key themes of Macbeth.
Discover MoreStaging Macbeth
Help your students uncover what it means to stage Macbeth through creative tasks.
Discover More