Near the beginning of the book in Scene 3 of Act I, we have the gathering of the three witches. This particular scene, is the introduction of the plot for the rest of the tragedy. No other occurrence throughout the book can be directly traced to the "start of it all" as this one is. The quotation, "A drum, a drum! Macbeth doth come," is spoken by the third witch and announces the entrance of Macbeth, but it means much more than just a stage direction. It marks the beginning of Macbeth's journey to kingship and eventually to death. When he approaches the witches and they tell him of his fate, he launches himself into a quest for the throne due to what these witches, that he just came across, had told him.
This particular utterance marks the end of the exposition and the beginning of the action of the plot and the real tragedy of Macbeth and those around him. Shakespeare uses the witches to foreshadow what is to come while also providing a storyline, fates to both narrate and direct the story, and driving force to push the tale and main characters forward. As Macbeth struggles to manipulate fate and slowly fall to insanity, the witches are there to show what is to come and how it will play out. Shakespeare allows for the audience to cheer for the main character but also recognize their faults through the truth given to us by these witches. Had Macbeth doth not come, we wouldn't have a classic Shakespearean tragedy.
Interesting way to look at this literal entrance as a more figurative entrance of Macbeth into his own downward spiraling tragedy. Good analysis.
ReplyDeleteI really like how Shakespeare uses the witches to foreshadow. This is a good thing to pay attention to when reading.
ReplyDeleteHi Jacob. It is important to note that drummers often preceded both kings and funerals at that time. It was probably some not so subtle foreshadowing of the great and awful things that would happen over the course of the play. I wonder whether the witches manipulate fate to mess with people or if they simply are messengers taking this information from a higher power.
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