Macbeth- Act I Scene III

In this scene, Macbeth and his good friend, Banquo, are introduced to the three witches for the first time upon a barren heath. Although, before Macbeth, Banquo and the "Weird sisters" cross paths, some words are exchanged amongst the witches as shown below.

First Witch     Where hast thou been, sister?       

Second Witch            Killing swine.          

Third Witch   Sister, where thou? 

First Witch     A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap, 

            And munch'd, and munch'd, and munch'd:--                  5

            'Give me,' quoth I:              

            'Aroint thee, witch!' the rump-fed ronyon cries.

            Her husband's to Aleppo gone, master o' the Tiger:

           But in a sieve I'll thither sail,

            And, like a rat without a tail,

             10

            I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do.

           

Second Witch            I'll give thee a wind.

           

First Witch     Thou'rt kind.           

Third Witch   And I another.                      

First Witch     I myself have all the other,

             15

            And the very ports they blow,

            All the quarters that they know

            I' the shipman's card.

            I will drain him dry as hay:

            Sleep shall neither night nor day              20

            Hang upon his pent-house lid;

           He shall live a man forbid:

            Weary se'n nights nine times nine

            Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:

            Though his bark cannot be lost,

             25

            Yet it shall be tempest-tost.                      

            Look what I have.              

Second Witch            Show me, show me.           

First Witch     Here I have a pilot's thumb,

            Wreck'd as homeward he did come.                    30

            Drum within.                      

Third Witch   A drum, a drum!                

            Macbeth doth come.                      

ALL    The weird sisters, hand in hand,

            Posters of the sea and land,

            Thus do go about, about:               35

            Thrice to thine and thrice to mine

            And thrice again, to make up nine.                     

            Peace! the charm's wound up.

            

This is the three witches plotting their revenge on a woman, indirectly through her husband who is away on a ship in Allepo. Witch one describes how she is planning to sail to him in the form of a rat and make it so that the make cannot sleep and make his journey misery, as he will not feel alive. There are also hints that the first witch may have caused the death of the husband as she said, "Here I have a pilot's thumb, Wreck'd as homeward did he come." Indicating that she forced a shipwreck on which the husband of the woman was sailing.

After this the trio prepare for the arrival of Macbeth. This was done by the three chanting as one, what seems to be a spell, this 'spell' incorporates the line, "Thrice to thine and thrice to mine, and thrice again to make up nine." which could have a biblical background this could be linked to the bible regarding the, nine layers of hell. There are also said to be seven seas and seven continents, which could be linked to the seven heavens.

After this chant, Macbeth and Banquo enter the scene, and immediately presented with the prophecies which have a noticeable impact on Macbeth instantly as Banquo and he, start discussing the possibilities of their futures and the likelihood of these coming true. I.e 

MACBETH    Your children shall be kings.        

BANQUO      You shall be king.

MACBETH    And thane of Cawdor too: went it not so?          

BANQUO      To the selfsame tune and words. Who's here?

Did what I could, HC