Act 1 Scene 1

Scene Summary 

The play opens with thunder and lightning, and three witches arrive in the middle of a storm. They discuss when they should meet again, deciding to meet when a battle is “lost and won,” and to meet someone called Macbeth. Calling upon their familiars, they leave while ominously chanting “fair is foul, and foul is fair” before mysteriously vanishing.

Scene Analysis

There is much to break down with the opening scene of the play. Almost immediately, the audience introduced to the dark nature of the text, as it opens in the midst of a storm, potentially foreshadowing the chaos later to come. Such striking imagery is complemented by the introduction of Macbeth’s first characters: the witches. From the start, Shakespeare has written the three witches in an incredibly mysterious and uncomfortable manner, hinting at themes of the supernatural and the danger it brings. Their language in this scene emphasises this fact, making little sense, with quotes such as “when the hurly-burly’s done,” and “fair is foul and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air.” This also foreshadows how twisted reality will become, as the natural order of Scotland is about to be disrupted.

Other than hinting at the dark times to come, this scene also introduces Macbeth, though he doesn’t yet appear. Though only his name is mentioned, his importance is established almost immediately to the audience, as not only is the play named after him, but these witches, who have been presented as dark and powerful beings who foreshadow doom, wish to meet with him. It is clear that from the very beginning that Shakespeare has purposely linked the witches to Macbeth’s character arc. When considering the opening scenes of Shakespeare’s other tragedies, Macbeth’s stands out, as unlike in Hamlet and Othello (which also foreshadow the tragedy to come, sometimes with supernatural elements), Macbeth’s is uniquely more atmospheric and heavier in its tone. The opening scene of any of Shakespeare plays is crucial to understand, as it is the first time the audience is brought into the play’s world and story, and in the case of Macbeth, the use of witches as characters, the vague mention of the main character’s name, and eerie atmosphere created establish Macbeth’s setting and tone as one of mystery and darkness.