Witches In Macbeth

The dominating portrayal of the witches in Act 1 Scene 3 was the reason I chose to analyze and perform this part. I believe the witches played a pivotal role in influencing Macbeth, the characters, the plot, the theme and the audience. Their presence also highlights the difference between good and evil, human and supernatural. The scene depicts how the “weird sisters” lurk like dark thoughts and unconscious temptations to evil. Their supernatural powers acts, as a catalyst to their mischief but the main cause of their mischief is their understanding the weaknesses of their interlocutors. They play upon Macbeth’s ambitions like puppeteers.

Though brief, I decided to perform Act 1 scene 1 as well for the mere reason that the audience is introduced

The three witches illustrate this structure in their scenes by casting three prophecies. After hearing the drum signaling Macbeth’s arrival the witches finish casting the spell in which they use a triple structure. The witches, in harmony, say three lines “to make up nine” and to perform this I circle around the cauldron three times. The number nine could be a reference to Dante’s nine circles of hell and nine levels of heaven. It could also be a reference to the human gestation signifying that they have waited a long time for this moment. I performed this part by standing close to the other witches “hand in hand” and circling the cauldron three times to portray the triple structure. They also refer to themselves as “posters of the sea and land” signifying how they are speedy travellers of the sea and land which again is a contradiction as witches are stereotypically thought of as ugly old women while speed and stealth is thought of as characteristics of a young and agile person so how could someone old be speedy

It also it makes the audience wonder if the prophecy would have been true without the witches’ intervention or not. To keep the mysteriousness of the play intact I used a proscenium arch set up for the viewers to give it a more realistic feeling and used the help of two dead actors to perform as the other two witches to keep the triple structure in spite of them not having any dialogues. Enacting the part of the three witches I learned the use of proxemics in theatre its importance. Performing the high pitch laugh of the witches was a challenge though I knew I had to overcome it as it was an important element of my