Student Question

What is won and lost in the quote "When the hurly burly's done, when the battle is lost and won" from Macbeth?

"When the hurly burly's done, when the battle is lost and won."

Quick answer:

In the quote from Macbeth, "When the hurly burly's done, when the battle is lost and won," the witches refer both to the literal battle between Scotland and Norway, where Scotland wins, and to the ongoing moral battles in the play. The statement signifies that while one side wins and another loses, the outcomes of good and evil remain ambiguous.

Expert Answers

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As noted above, the literal battle that the witches discuss is the war between Scotland and Norway.  Duncan's army has been dispatched to fight against the Norweyan army, and later the audience finds out that Banquo and Macbeth have played major roles in the battle.  The witches always speak in paradoxes, and the above quotation is an example of one:  "When the battle is lost and won."  On a first reading, it seems impossible for a battle to be both lost and won, but perspective proves the statement to be true:  one side of the battle will win, while the other will lose.  In this case, Scotland came out of the battle victorious over Norway.  And the witches do meet once the battle is over when they are confronted by Macbeth and Banquo who are on their way home from the war.

Figuratively speaking, the hurly-burly refers to the moral battles that will continue to wage throughout the course of the play.  The witches meet again when Macbeth goes to see them to get more answers about the safety of his place as King.  At this point, it seems that Duncan has "lost" while Macbeth has "won," but the sides of good and evil are not so clear.

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