Macbeth :: essays research papers

How do the witches create an atmosphere of nightmareAnd evil in Macbeth?The play Macbeth was written in the early seventeenth century, in a time when the English people believed very strongly in the earth of witches. A range of powers were certified to these evil beings, including the ability to see into the future, bidding the weather, fly and become invisible at w recovering and communicate with the devil. The witches were believed to make happy making hu composition beings suffer, by causing livestock to get ill and die, for example. From the outset of this play, when iii witches appear on stage, the contemporary audiences would have pass judgment a plot that demonstrated just how evil such creatures could be.In Act 1 Scene 1 Shakespeare introduces the witches immediately and this sets the tone for the watch of the play, it sets a mood of evil and supernatural influences. In this scene the witches determine close to the actionfield, this associates them with destruction a nd death. The first impressions we get from this scene is that there is vulturine weather which reflects their tendencies and their presence causes chaos in nature, also darkness links the witches with evil, two thirds of the play is set in the darkness. An absence seizure of light suggests an absence of God and he is associated with light and goodness. The witches speak in rhyming couplets When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightening or in pelting? Speaking in rhyming couplets gives the impression of chanting or a spell being cast. Their control over the weather is alluded to as they question what it should be like the next time they meet. The witches refer to the current battle as a hurly-burly. But really this was a battle of fearful proportions that was to decide the fate of an entire country, resulting in many deaths. The witches description of this as a hurly-burly suggests that they are dismissive of it, comparing it more to a boyish scuffle in a playground. Th is shows how contemptuous they are to the affairs if man and their lack of concern at such human carnage and suffering. The witches discern when the battle will be over suggesting that they may have several(prenominal) influence on this and reinforcing the idea that they can see into the future. They discuss their proposal to meet with Macbeth, an intention that convinces the audience they mean to cause him harm.