Macbeth by William Shakespeare – Characters – The Witches

Macbeth by William Shakespeare – Characters – The Witches

• This resource provides a detailed character analysis of the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, written in English.
• It examines their role as supernatural agents who introduce themes of fate, evil, and temptation, exploring how their ambiguous prophecies and manipulative influence drive Macbeth’s moral decline and the play’s central tragedy.

Key features:

• Analysis of the witches’ unsettling first appearance and use of paradoxical language, such as “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”, to establish themes of moral confusion and chaos.
• Detailed examination of their prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo, highlighting their deliberate ambiguity and role in tempting ambition without direct coercion.
• Exploration of how the witches function as a catalyst for Macbeth’s downfall, testing his moral integrity through indirect influence and deceptive riddles.
• Discussion of key scenes, including the apparitions in Act 4, and their symbolic use of misleading predictions to create false confidence.
• Consideration of broader themes, including the interplay between fate and free will, the nature of evil, and the psychological power of temptation.
• Includes an accompanying worksheet to reinforce and practise key concepts.

This resource has been designed for GCSE level students.