![]() This appearance in Scene 3 seems to confirm their role as sisters of destiny “indued with knowledge of prophesie” as Holinshed describes. Albert H. Īll hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor Īll hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!. Like the three Norns, they boldly address Macbeth from the past, present, and future as he and Banquo return from battle:Īll hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. Are they meant to resemble the sisters of Fate in Greek myth or the three Norns of Scandinavian lore? If so, then they have the power to determine destiny. ![]() Later editions call them the Weïrd Sisters, derived from the word wyrd meaning fate in Old English. It might be the middle of the afternoon, but Shakespeare has created an atmosphere of mystery and foreboding that is only perpetuated by the regular presence of these eerie figures throughout Macbeth. Three bearded men cloaked in black rags and tattered capes slink onto the stage as they chant. Imagine a smoking cauldron rising from the trapdoor of the Globe’s center stage as you hear echoes of thunder from the attics. But what was Shakespeare’s intent for their appearance? What are they? William Shakespeare’s broad audience of commoners, merchants, and nobility all readily acknowledge their supernatural presence, the stuff of superstition. Their very presence inspires both fear and wonder of the unknown. Enter three sisters as thunder and lightning clash above.
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