ACT 1

Scene	Quote	Meaning	Language Device
1	“When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”	The Witches plan to meet again in stormy weather, showing evil and chaos.	Pathetic fallacy, rhetorical question
1	“When the hurlyburly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.”	The battle will end with both loss and victory; good and evil are confused.	Paradox
1	“That will be ere the set of sun.”	The meeting will happen very soon, creating urgency.	Foreshadowing
1	“There to meet with Macbeth.”	They reveal Macbeth is their target.	Foreshadowing
1	“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”	Good and evil will be reversed; nothing is as it seems.	Paradox, antithesis
1	“Hover through the fog and filthy air.”	Evil spreads in darkness and confusion.	Imagery, metaphor
3	“All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!”	They greet Macbeth by his current title to gain his attention.	Repetition (anaphora), prophetic tone
3	“All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!”	They predict his new title, which soon comes true.	Dramatic irony, foreshadowing
3	“All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!”	They predict Macbeth will become king.	Prophecy, foreshadowing
3	“Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.”	Banquo will be less powerful but morally greater than Macbeth.	Paradox
3	“Not so happy, yet much happier.”	Banquo will not be king, but his life will be happier.	Paradox
3	“Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.”	Banquo’s sons will be kings, not Banquo himself.	Prophecy, irony
3	“So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!”	The Witches greet both men, giving their words authority.	Choral voice, repetition
3	“Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!”	They repeat the greeting to sound powerful and convincing.	Repetition
3	“Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more.”	Macbeth wants more information; he is already tempted by power.	Imperative, characterization

Act 1, Scene 1

“When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
The witches are planning their next meeting in a storm, which immediately creates a sense of danger and chaos. The stormy weather mirrors their evil nature. Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy here, linking the witches to dark and unnatural forces. This sets the tone of the play and introduces the theme of evil and disorder.

“When the hurlyburly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.”
Here, the witches talk about a battle that ends both in loss and victory, which seems contradictory. This paradox shows that appearances can be misleading, a theme that runs through the play, and prepares us for the moral confusion in Macbeth’s life.

“That will be ere the set of sun.”
The witches tell us the meeting will happen very soon. This foreshadowing creates suspense, hinting that events involving Macbeth are coming fast. It gives the audience a sense of urgency.

“There to meet with Macbeth.”
This line is short but powerful. The witches already reveal that they are targeting Macbeth. Shakespeare uses foreshadowing here, giving us a glimpse of the chaos and temptation that Macbeth will soon face.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”
One of the most famous lines in the play. The witches are saying that what seems good may actually be bad, and vice versa. This paradox and antithesis highlights the theme of appearance versus reality, showing that the natural order of things is about to be disturbed.

“Hover through the fog and filthy air.”
The witches move through “fog and filthy air,” which paints a picture of darkness and corruption. The imagery and metaphor here reinforce their evil and the confusion they bring into the world.

Act 1, Scene 3

• “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!”
• “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!”
• “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!”

The witches greet Macbeth with a mix of truth and prophecy. First, they name his current title, then his new title he doesn’t yet know, and finally that he will be king. The use of repetition, prophetic tone, and foreshadowing builds tension and fascination. Macbeth is intrigued, and we see the seeds of ambition starting to grow.

• “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.”
• “Not so happy, yet much happier.”
• “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.”

These lines are directed at Banquo. They are paradoxical, meaning they sound confusing but carry truth. Banquo will not be king, but his descendants will inherit the throne. Shakespeare uses prophecy and irony to highlight fate and the role of the supernatural. The audience begins to notice the contrast between Banquo and Macbeth: one resists temptation, the other will be driven by it.

• “So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!” / “Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!”

These repeated greetings emphasize the witches’ authority and ritualistic, almost musical, choral voice. It adds to the mystical atmosphere and shows their power over men’s fates.

• “Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more.”

Macbeth’s reaction shows his curiosity and ambition. The imperative reveals his desire to control or understand his destiny. This is an early glimpse of his character flaw: his ambition and willingness to seek power, even through dark means.

The witches’ language is full of paradoxes, repetition, and foreshadowing. Their words are designed to confuse, tempt, and manipulate. In Act 1, they set up the central themes: ambition, fate, evil, and the difference between appearance and reality. Shakespeare makes their speech memorable and unnerving, immediately grabbing the audience’s attention and preparing them for Macbeth’s moral conflict.

ACT 3

Scene	Quote	Meaning	Language Device
5	“How did you dare to trade and traffic with Macbeth in riddles and affairs of death?”	Hecate is furious that the Witches spoke to Macbeth without her permission.	Alliteration / Rhetorical Question
5	“And I, the mistress of your charms… was never called to bear my part.”	Hecate asserts her power as the leader of the supernatural forces.	Characterization
5	“He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear his hopes ‘bove wisdom, grace, and fear.”	The Witches plan to make Macbeth overconfident, which will lead to his downfall.	Rule of Three / Foreshadowing
5	“Security is mortals’ chiefest enemy.”	Being too confident (feeling “secure”) is the greatest weakness of humans.	Aphorism (Moral saying)
5	“A dismal and a fatal end.”	Hecate predicts that Macbeth’s story will end in total disaster.	Adjectives / Tone

Act 3, Scene 5

“How did you dare to trade and traffic with Macbeth…” Hecate’s entrance raises the stakes. She views Macbeth not as a hero or a villain, but as a “wayward son” who is spiteful and wrathful. The word “trade” suggests that Macbeth has essentially sold his soul, and the Witches are the ones “trafficking” in his destiny. This reinforces the theme of the supernatural controlling human life like a business transaction.

“He shall spurn fate, scorn death…” This is the most “psychological” moment for the Witches. They realize that they don’t need to kill Macbeth themselves; they just need to change how he thinks. By making him “spurn fate,” they encourage his hubris (excessive pride). Shakespeare uses this to show that Macbeth’s downfall is a mix of supernatural influence and his own ego.

“Security is mortals’ chiefest enemy.” This is a key philosophical line in the play. Hecate knows that when humans feel safe, they become reckless. This sets up the events of Act 4, where the Witches give Macbeth prophecies that sound like they make him safe (like “no man born of woman”) but are actually traps.

ACT 4

Scene	Quote	Meaning	Language Device
1	“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.”	The Witches are brewing a spell to increase the chaos and “toil” in Macbeth’s life.	Repetition, Rhyming Couplets
1	“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”	The Witches can feel Macbeth approaching; even they now call him “wicked.”	Rhyme, Irony
1	“Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff!”	The First Apparition (an Armed Head) confirms Macbeth’s fears about his rival.	Repetition, Imperative
1	“None of woman born shall harm Macbeth.”	The Second Apparition (a Bloody Child) makes Macbeth feel invincible through a trick of words.	Paradox, Equivocation
1	“Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.”	The Third Apparition (a Crowned Child) tells him he is safe until the forest moves—an impossible event.	Personification, Foreshadowing
1	“A show of eight kings, and Banquo last with a glass in his hand.”	The Witches show a line of Banquo’s descendants, proving Macbeth’s lineage will end.	Visual Imagery, Silent Tableau
1	“Infected be the air whereon they ride, and damned all those that trust them!”	Macbeth curses the Witches, but in doing so, he accidentally curses himself.	Irony, Metaphor

Act 4, Scene 1 Analysis

“Double, double toil and trouble…” This is the most famous incantation in literature. The use of trochaic tetrameter (a falling rhythm: DUM-da, DUM-da) makes their speech sound “otherworldly” compared to the iambic pentameter used by the noble characters. It creates a hypnotic, terrifying atmosphere as they throw horrific ingredients (eye of newt, toe of frog) into the pot.

“Something wicked this way comes.” This is a massive turning point. In Act 1, the Witches were the “wicked” ones seeking out Macbeth. Now, Macbeth has become so evil that the Witches themselves sense his presence as a dark force. He has transitioned from a victim of temptation to the definition of “wickedness.”

“None of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” This is a classic example of equivocation (telling a half-truth to deceive). Macbeth takes this literally to mean he cannot be killed, but the Witches know that Macduff was born via C-section (not a “natural” birth). They use language as a trap to build the “security” Hecate mentioned in Act 3.

“Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come…” Again, the Witches use a visual impossibility to make Macbeth feel safe. By using the image of a “Crowned Child” holding a tree, they are actually foreshadowing Malcolm (the rightful heir) using branches as camouflage to storm the castle. Macbeth is too blinded by his own ego to see the literal meaning behind the metaphor.

“A show of eight kings…” This is the Witches’ final “sting.” Just as Macbeth feels confident, they show him the one thing he hates most: Banquo’s descendants on the throne. This proves that while they gave him “security,” they are ultimately there to torment him.

In Act 4, the Witches disappear for good. They have done their job: they have led Macbeth so far into the “fog” that he can no longer see the truth. From here on, Macbeth’s destruction is inevitable.