Macbeth Group

Question:

a-eagle
a-eagle
Student
High School - 11th Grade

What are the witches talking about at the beginning of scene 3, and how does the convo relates to the main action of the play?

How is Macbeth like the man mentioned by the first witch in this conversation? (1.3.15-26).

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Posted by a-eagle on Sunday March 8, 2009 at 7:27 PM and tagged with beginning, macbeth, witches.

Answers:


  1. danylyshen Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    One witch confronts another witch about her whereabouts and the witch responds:

    A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap,
    And mounch'd, and mounch'd, and mounch'd.
    “Give me,” quoth I.(15)
    "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,
    I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do.(20)

    The witch wants the chestnuts which weren't hers similar to MacBeth wanting something that wasn't his--the crown. The sailor's wife refuses to the rude demands and the witch threatens force and violence to get what she wants. MacBeth also uses force and brutality to get what he wants.

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    Posted by danylyshen on Sunday March 8, 2009 at 8:25 PM