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The witches in Act 1, Scene 3 of ‘Macbeth’

I can explain how language has been used to describe the witches in Act 1, Scene 3 of ‘Macbeth’.

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Year 10
Eduqas

The witches in Act 1, Scene 3 of ‘Macbeth’

I can explain how language has been used to describe the witches in Act 1, Scene 3 of ‘Macbeth’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The witches could be interpreted as being presented as genderless
  2. The witches' non-conformity to gender roles seems to confuse Macbeth and Banquo
  3. The witches could be interpreted as unnatural, threatening outsiders
  4. The witches' behaviour would subvert a Jacobean audience's expectations of femininity
  5. The theme of the unnatural is first introduced

Keywords

  • Outsider - Being an outsider is an important idea, particularly to Shakespeare. An outsider is a character who is not accepted by society.

  • Genderless - In the context of ‘Macbeth’, the witches are genderless characters: they neither present nor behave in a way this society expects of women.

  • Conform - If you conform, you accept rules or standards.

  • Subvert - If you are subversive you don’t accept rules or standards.

  • Femininity - Femininity refers to qualities which are seen as characteristic of women or girls.

Common misconception

The witches are presented solely as women, threatening women but women nonetheless.

Look at the language in Act 1, Scene 3: Banquo and Macbeth see the witches as unnatural, not just strange women.

Use LC2 to help students build a nuanced interpretation by tying their original interpretation of the witches as women who conform to common beliefs about witches, to the additional suggestion that they are unknowable and unquantifiable 'things'.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the name of the character who, with Macbeth, hears prophecies from the witches in Act 1, Scene 3 of 'Macbeth'?
Lady Macbeth
King Duncan
the Scottish army
Correct answer: Banquo
Macduff
Q2.
Which adjective best describes the atmosphere of the opening scene of 'Macbeth'?
familiar
Correct answer: ominous
staging
pathetic fallacy
Q3.
What do the witches tell Macbeth in Act 1, Scene 3 of 'Macbeth'?
That his children will be kings.
That Duncan will leave the throne to him.
Correct answer: That he will be king.
That he should kill King Duncan in order to become king.
That they will help him become king.
Q4.
What happens after the witches deliver the prophecies in Act 1, Scene 3 of 'Macbeth'?
They tell Lady Macbeth the prophecies.
They cast a spell on Banquo.
Correct answer: They disappear.
They arrange to help Macbeth kill King Duncan.
Q5.
James I, the monarch when 'Macbeth' was first written and performed, believed in witches. What two things did he do to show this belief?
Correct answer: He persecuted witches.
He banned the play, 'Macbeth' for a period of time.
He employed witches in his court.
Correct answer: He wrote a book about witches.
Q6.
Is the witches' appearance in Act 1 of 'Macbeth' the only unnatural event to occur in the play?
Yes. Other unpleasant and violent things happen but nothing else unnatural.
Yes. The unnatural event starts the play but only to foreshadow ominous events.
Correct answer: No. Many unnatural occurrences punctuate the play.
No but the only other unnatural event is when Hecate appears.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What qualities should an ideal Jacobean woman adhere to?
Maintaining a high standard of education.
Correct answer: Obeying men, particularly a father or husband.
Correct answer: Marrying and having children.
Supporting a husband financially.
Q2.
What are common features of outsiders?
Outsiders are supernatural.
Correct answer: Outsiders can be seen as threatening.
Outsiders are introduced first in a text.
Outsiders conform to societal standards.
Correct answer: Outsiders are rejected by society.
Q3.
Which quotation best expresses Macbeth's confusion about the witches in Act 1, Scene 3 of 'Macbeth'?
'into the air'
Correct answer: 'what seem'd corporal melted'
'would they had stay'd'
Q4.
What device does Shakespeare use to explore the idea of disorder and chaos in 'Macbeth'?
The theme of witches.
Correct answer: The theme of the unnatural.
The theme of women.
The theme of conforming.
The theme of the outsider.
Q5.
Which statements best explain why Macbeth and Banquo are confused by the witches in Act 1, Scene 3 of 'Macbeth'?
Correct answer: They seem inhuman.
They are bubbles.
Correct answer: They appear to be genderless.
They are hallucinations.
Q6.
In Act 1, Scene 3 of 'Macbeth', Banquo compares the witches to 'bubbles' and 'things'. Which statements best describe the effect of this language?
Correct answer: It conveys their unnaturalness.
It conveys their wildness.
It conveys his interest in the witches.
Correct answer: It conveys the witches' subversive nature.