Before Macbeth enters, the witches are mixing a poisoned concoction, implying impending trouble. Three witches are circling around a cauldron, throwing in items such as Baboon's Blood, Signifying Death, The Toad, signifying poison, and a finger from a child that was killed by its mother, signifying death and poverty; foreshadows something dark and mysterious will happen.
The second witch states something wicked this way comes, suggesting Macbeth is an evil character. The witches might have been expecting Macbeth to arrive and were preparing for his entrance into the scene. The three witches of Macbeth continually enter the stage with either thunder, or thunder and lightning. All three of the apparitions enter the stage with Thunder. This shows that the witches and the apparitions are closely related and similar to each other.
The apparitions profess three things Macbeth believes are incapable of happening. The first apparition, said that Macduff would flee to England, where Macbeth would not go. The second apparition, Said that no mortal man shall harm Macbeth. The third, “Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him (Act 4, Scene I, Line 90 to 94).” The trouble begins when Macbeth believes humans are not able to kill him. It implies that the potion was being mixed to create the apparitions.
Thus, Shakespeare gains the audience's acceptance of the three summoned apparitions through foreshadowing something supernatural is about to occur. Beginning with the witches' magical concoction, the audience continually has more reason to believe the summoned apparitions. Upon the entrance of Hecate, who commends the witches for their work, Shakespeare introduces the audience into an entire hierarchy being aware of the witches' scheme. After Hecate exits the scene, the second witch is aware Macbeth is knocking. The witches may have been expecting Macbeth, and were preparing for his arrival. The stage direction for both the witches and the apparitions are identical. This suggests the witches and the apparitions are closely related and relevant to each other. It implies that the potion was being mixed to create the apparitions.
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