Macbeth: Act 1 Scene 3
Deep-diving into the details
Summary
We’re back on the desolate heath for this scene, and the three witches meet again. They have
returned from casting a spell on a sailor whose wife has offended one of them before
encountering Macbeth and Banquo. The sisters make three prophecies. They call Macbeth
Thane of Glamis (his current title), Thane of Cawdor (a title he does not yet know he has been
given by Duncan), and ‘King hereafter’. Banquo receives a more ambiguous prophecy. He is
told by the witches that his descendants will inherit the throne, that he will be ‘lesser than
Macbeth, and greater’, and ‘not so happy, yet much happier.’ Ross and Angus then arrive to
inform Macbeth that he has been conferred the title of Thane of Cawdor. This revelation
confirms the second part of the witches’ prophecy, and this ignites Macbeth’s curiosity about
how the third prophecy – ‘King hereafter’ – will come about. Banquo is very sceptical of the
witches and warns Macbeth that they should not be trusted and that their promises may be
hiding malevolent intent. The scene closes with Macbeth’s first soliloquy, in which he
contemplates the possibility of taking the crown through actions, thus revealing the ignition of
his inner moral conflict and ambition.
The Scene’s Function and Structural Placement
Act 1, Scene 3 in the play is significant because it is the first time we are introduced to Macbeth and the
prophecy that catalyses his downfall.
It marks a critical point in the play, where the external, public world of battle and heroism (as explored in
Act 1, Scene 2) blends with the psychological realm of temptation, moral ambiguity, and budding
ambition. It shifts from Macbeth’s celebrated military prowess and bravery to his interior landscape,
establishing the tension between fate and free will. Unlike his reputation in Scene 2, we see the cracks in
his moral facade and loyalty to the crown.
The setting itself, the deserted heath, represents a liminal and wild space beyond the confines of
monarchy and social order, which not only reinforces the destabilising force of the supernatural but also
represents the wildness within Macbeth himself. The fact that this is the second scene out of three so far
that has occurred on the heath seeks to emphasise the power of the witches in manipulating the events of
the play, and to further the tone of chaos and disorder.
The audience witnesses the intrusion of moral and supernatural instability precisely at the moment when
Macbeth is offered opportunity and temptation, thus positioning this scene as a hinge between the
exposition and the rising action of the tragedy.
, The witches’ equivocal speech, Banquo’s cautious rationality and Macbeth’s soliloquy together establish a
dialectic between morality and desire and appearance versus reality, which foreshadows the moral
disintegration that drives Macbeth’s downfall.
Key Language and Imagery
Naming
Banquo
The name Banquo is significant to our understanding of his character and function in the play. It is often
considered to be a linguistic connection to ‘ban’ or ‘bank’, thus implying stability. Banquo is a stable
character who acts as a means of trying to ground Macbeth morally. This is reinforced by his scepticism of
the witches’ prophecy.
Some critics have also posited that the name Banquo means ‘fair’ or ‘white’, as it comes from the Scottish
Gaelic word ‘ban’ (meaning ‘white’). From this perspective, Banquo is pure and representative of an
individual untainted by the dark pull and prophecy of the witches. In the play, he represents reason,
goodness, and morality. These are things Macbeth must ‘kill’ if he wants to succumb to his ambition and
murderous intentions.
Juxtaposition / Paradoxical imagery
First witch: Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
Second witch: Not so happy, yet much happier
This paradoxical phrase suggests that the witches deem Banquo lesser in status and capacity for power
than Macbeth, yet higher in moral integrity. This thus establishes that morality will ultimately triumph over
power and ambition. This is a quality in Banquo that Macbeth notices and considers a threat, which is one
of the reasons why Banquo is killed later in the play.
The phrase also suggests that Banquo’s true reward will not be in temporal power, but in moral and
spiritual integrity, via the eternal legacy of his lineage (the ‘greater’)
From a Theological perspective, this paradox could be alluding to the way in which spiritual happiness
transcends the temporary and fleeting happiness of kingship and power derived through sin. Banquo,
though murdered later in the play, dies an honourable man, which contrasts with Macbeth’s death.
Imagery of intangibility
Macbeth: Into the air; and what seem’d corporal melted / as breath into the wind
The intangibility of ‘air’, ‘breath’, and ‘wind’ reinforces the non-human nature of the witches and that their
prophecies are unfounded and should not be trusted. Alternatively, the reference to the wind and air here
may also allude to the witches’ ability to control the elements and manipulate characters, apparitions, and
the weather throughout the play.
Their intangibility could also represent their profound psychological influence and even be a direct
representation of Macbeth’s psyche. From a psychoanalytical perspective, the witches could be a physical
manifestation of Macbeth’s innermost and corrupt desires.
The verb ‘melted’ could imply the dissolving of physical and logical reality, challenging the senses and
blurring the boundaries between what is real and imagined.
The simile ‘as breath into wind’ may suggest that the witches’ disappearance is something uncontrollable,
insubstantial and unpredictable. Their disappearance may symbolise that Macbeth’s reality and actions
Deep-diving into the details
Summary
We’re back on the desolate heath for this scene, and the three witches meet again. They have
returned from casting a spell on a sailor whose wife has offended one of them before
encountering Macbeth and Banquo. The sisters make three prophecies. They call Macbeth
Thane of Glamis (his current title), Thane of Cawdor (a title he does not yet know he has been
given by Duncan), and ‘King hereafter’. Banquo receives a more ambiguous prophecy. He is
told by the witches that his descendants will inherit the throne, that he will be ‘lesser than
Macbeth, and greater’, and ‘not so happy, yet much happier.’ Ross and Angus then arrive to
inform Macbeth that he has been conferred the title of Thane of Cawdor. This revelation
confirms the second part of the witches’ prophecy, and this ignites Macbeth’s curiosity about
how the third prophecy – ‘King hereafter’ – will come about. Banquo is very sceptical of the
witches and warns Macbeth that they should not be trusted and that their promises may be
hiding malevolent intent. The scene closes with Macbeth’s first soliloquy, in which he
contemplates the possibility of taking the crown through actions, thus revealing the ignition of
his inner moral conflict and ambition.
The Scene’s Function and Structural Placement
Act 1, Scene 3 in the play is significant because it is the first time we are introduced to Macbeth and the
prophecy that catalyses his downfall.
It marks a critical point in the play, where the external, public world of battle and heroism (as explored in
Act 1, Scene 2) blends with the psychological realm of temptation, moral ambiguity, and budding
ambition. It shifts from Macbeth’s celebrated military prowess and bravery to his interior landscape,
establishing the tension between fate and free will. Unlike his reputation in Scene 2, we see the cracks in
his moral facade and loyalty to the crown.
The setting itself, the deserted heath, represents a liminal and wild space beyond the confines of
monarchy and social order, which not only reinforces the destabilising force of the supernatural but also
represents the wildness within Macbeth himself. The fact that this is the second scene out of three so far
that has occurred on the heath seeks to emphasise the power of the witches in manipulating the events of
the play, and to further the tone of chaos and disorder.
The audience witnesses the intrusion of moral and supernatural instability precisely at the moment when
Macbeth is offered opportunity and temptation, thus positioning this scene as a hinge between the
exposition and the rising action of the tragedy.
, The witches’ equivocal speech, Banquo’s cautious rationality and Macbeth’s soliloquy together establish a
dialectic between morality and desire and appearance versus reality, which foreshadows the moral
disintegration that drives Macbeth’s downfall.
Key Language and Imagery
Naming
Banquo
The name Banquo is significant to our understanding of his character and function in the play. It is often
considered to be a linguistic connection to ‘ban’ or ‘bank’, thus implying stability. Banquo is a stable
character who acts as a means of trying to ground Macbeth morally. This is reinforced by his scepticism of
the witches’ prophecy.
Some critics have also posited that the name Banquo means ‘fair’ or ‘white’, as it comes from the Scottish
Gaelic word ‘ban’ (meaning ‘white’). From this perspective, Banquo is pure and representative of an
individual untainted by the dark pull and prophecy of the witches. In the play, he represents reason,
goodness, and morality. These are things Macbeth must ‘kill’ if he wants to succumb to his ambition and
murderous intentions.
Juxtaposition / Paradoxical imagery
First witch: Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
Second witch: Not so happy, yet much happier
This paradoxical phrase suggests that the witches deem Banquo lesser in status and capacity for power
than Macbeth, yet higher in moral integrity. This thus establishes that morality will ultimately triumph over
power and ambition. This is a quality in Banquo that Macbeth notices and considers a threat, which is one
of the reasons why Banquo is killed later in the play.
The phrase also suggests that Banquo’s true reward will not be in temporal power, but in moral and
spiritual integrity, via the eternal legacy of his lineage (the ‘greater’)
From a Theological perspective, this paradox could be alluding to the way in which spiritual happiness
transcends the temporary and fleeting happiness of kingship and power derived through sin. Banquo,
though murdered later in the play, dies an honourable man, which contrasts with Macbeth’s death.
Imagery of intangibility
Macbeth: Into the air; and what seem’d corporal melted / as breath into the wind
The intangibility of ‘air’, ‘breath’, and ‘wind’ reinforces the non-human nature of the witches and that their
prophecies are unfounded and should not be trusted. Alternatively, the reference to the wind and air here
may also allude to the witches’ ability to control the elements and manipulate characters, apparitions, and
the weather throughout the play.
Their intangibility could also represent their profound psychological influence and even be a direct
representation of Macbeth’s psyche. From a psychoanalytical perspective, the witches could be a physical
manifestation of Macbeth’s innermost and corrupt desires.
The verb ‘melted’ could imply the dissolving of physical and logical reality, challenging the senses and
blurring the boundaries between what is real and imagined.
The simile ‘as breath into wind’ may suggest that the witches’ disappearance is something uncontrollable,
insubstantial and unpredictable. Their disappearance may symbolise that Macbeth’s reality and actions
