Scene Summary
Somewhere unknown, the three witches once again meet in the middle of a storm, this time with their master Hecate, goddess of the moon and magic. They ask why Hecate is angry with them. She tells them they had no right to consort with Macbeth and grant him prophecies without her presence and knowledge. She reminds them she is the source of their power and they have done all this for a man who is “spiteful and wrathful” who “loves his own ends, not for you.” Hecate says they can make amends however, and orders them to meet her again soon, as Macbeth will soon seek their wisdom once more to know his destiny. She tells them to prepare their spells and cauldrons, as she is planning something dark, stating Macbeth will “spurn fate, scorn death... think he is above wisdom, grace and fear.” Hecate then disappears as the witches hurry to do her bidding.
Scene Analysis
Aside from the ghost of Banquo, the presence of Hecate throughout the play is amongst its most overtly supernatural elements. Traditionally a Greek goddess, Hecate is here portrayed as a representation of the fearsome and unknown nature of magic in the play’s world. Mentioned only by name previously, much like Macbeth at the beginning of the text, Hecate already has a well-established presence with her name mentioned when characters talk of dark forces, such as Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 2, stating “witchcraft celebrates pale Hecate’s offerings” before murdering Duncan. It is made clear early on that Hecate is an immensely terrifying and powerful being, and that fact is further established here as even the witches tremble before her presence. This is important, as up until this point, the witches have been portrayed as incredibly powerful beings capable of predicting the future and vanishing into thin air. With the introduction of Hecate, Shakespeare almost creates an atmosphere of existential dread, as her simple presence and command over the witches conveys to the audience that the squabbles of man seem insignificant before her judgement. Hence, Hecate can be interpreted as Shakespeare’s physical representation of the theme of destiny. As she states in the scene, she is there to punish Macbeth for thinking he is the master of his destiny and above what she quotes as “wisdom, grace and fear.” On a literary and symbolic level, Hecate promotes the idea that one should not meddle with magic forces above their understanding, especially their destiny, for dark things come to those who do. Though not explicitly causing Macbeth’s downfall, Hecate perfectly highlights and manipulates the fatal flaw of ambition, as she knows he is not just seeking to claim the crown any more but is ambitious enough to attempt to become the master of his fate. This is why she instructs her witches to show him more visions, as ironically, she knows no matter their vague meaning, they will eventually lead to his demise, acting as obvious foreshadowing for the audience.
Her presence, it should also be noted, is another example of Shakespeare using context to increase the tension and drama of the play, as to his highly religious audience, the use of a pagan goddess who is portrayed as the master of the witches, is a powerful and dark image that would inspire great fear amongst them, building the play’s dark and oppressive atmosphere. Finally, on the topic of Hecate, it appears once again that Shakespeare has employed another strong female presence, this time one who wields immense, unforeseen power. Yet much like the witches and Lady Macbeth, this is done in a somewhat negative light unfortunately, as her association with the witches and being a pagan goddess would invite great fear and loathing from the audience, with many assuming she is the true villain of the play as it is hinted that she is the one responsible for the prophecies and fate of Macbeth.
