Repetition in “Macbeth” | Learning Together Many minds are better than one! Repetition in “Macbeth” Posted by Lisa Smith in Uncategorized May 28, 2012 Find an example of repetition in “Macbeth” and explain its effect. What is it? Why is it there? Does it fall into characterisation, dramatic tension, irony, dialogue. Share this: “Still it cried, “Sleep no more!” to all the house. “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more.” Repeating his words of insanity, this effect of repetition in these lines helps portray Macbeth as this insane character. ∞ Act IV, Scene III: Macduff- “Each new morn, new widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike heaven on the face…” (p.156). Through use of repetition, Shakespeare highlights the constant destruction of Scotland, the constant killings and deaths, at the hand of the tyrannous Macbeth. The repetition builds dramatic tension by emphasizing the urgency of dethroning Macbeth and reclaiming Scotland from its tyrannous ruler.

∞ Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 18-20 LM: “What thou wouldst highly/ That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false/ And yet wouldst wrongly win.” The repetition of the word ‘wouldst’ in these lines portray Lady Macbeth’s quick thoughts as she starts to formulate a plan for the murder of Duncan and enhances the doubt she feels for her husband’s emotional ability to undertake the task – yet she knows that he would like very much to be king. Hecate: Act 3 Scene 5 I come, I come, I come, I come With all the speed I may, With all the speed I may. Where’s Stadling? Shakespeare has used this repetition to highlight the frantic nature which Hecate is in and he alerts us to the agency of the matter. “With all the speed I may” refers to Hecate travelling as fast as she can to the other spirits. “Where’s Stadling” refers to all the witches being rounded as seen in further lines. When shall we three meet again When the battles lost and won The word ‘when’ is repeated to draw the audiences attention to the future and make them ponder.

The witches constantly develop prophersies which forshadow future events. Act 3, scene 2, 8–12 Lady Macbeth: How now, my lord, why do you keep alone, Of sorriest fancies your companions making, Using those thoughts which should indeed have died With them they think on? Things without all remedy Should be without regard: what’s done, is done. When Lady Macbeth says “Should be without regard: what’s done, is done she is saying the Duncan’s death is Permanent. The repetition of the word ‘done’ is further enforcing that it has been ‘done’ and cannot be changed. “Fair is foul and foul is fair Hover through the fog and filthy air.” This line contains massive amounts of repetition! There is repetition of the f consonance (alliteration) and the repetition of fair and foul. This really enhances the duplicity of the sentence but at the same time demonstrates how in Macbeth’s world, these two things go hand in hand. What the witches considered to be foul is in their minds fair, and what is fair to them is foul in everyone else’s opinion.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools This use of repetition is strong and powerful, and its place at the end of the play furthe promotes this. Its a mere reflection from Macbeth, questioning the worth of his actions, questioning the tediousness of life .The use of the word Tomorrow also plays to great signicance, as Macbeth accepts his death, and the fact he will not rise again to even see the next day, as he will be slain. May 28, 2012 at 10:57 pm ∞ Act V Sc I, Lady M: What’s done cannot be undone.–To bed, to bed, to bed! Lady Macbeth uses repetition in her very last lines in the play because Shakespeare wants to burn the image and thought of the late Lady Macbeth as distrought and crazy. She uses repitition merely as a scapegoat for the sickness in her mind. Her guilt scratches at her.

(Written in-class 28 May, needed internet to upload) Act 3 Scene 1 “-what’s done, is done.” This use of repetition by Lady Macbeth gives the resounding impact that King Duncan’s death is now a final, irreversible deed that has been committed. Lady Macbeth’s use of repetition urges Macbeth to forget the deed and move on. May 28, 2012 at 11:53 am ∞ Act 5 scene 1, ‘unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles’ This line is spoken by the doctor when he is observing the sleep walking Lady Macbeth. He is implying that only somthing unnatural could cause Lady Macbeth to have such sleep walking. The repetition of the word unnatural emphasises the evil that was done in murdering Duncan. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

(x3) The repetition of the Three Witches lines “Double, double toil and trouble,’ is part of the refrain to their demonic incantation, an inspiring little number in tetrameter (four accents per line.) The Witches believe that with their spells, they could pile up toil and trouble until the ‘double.’ Yielding twice the toil and double the trouble for Macbeth who they said would be King and are awaiting a visit from. In a way the line is dramatic irony as they are worse than Macbeth, for they are the reasoning why Macbeth went on a rampaging killing spree. Act 5 Scene One Lady Macbeth “To bed, to bed. There’s a knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come. Give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. – To bed, to bed, to bed! This line is important, as it is Lady Macbeths last line the play before she commits suicide. Shakespeare uses repetition in her very last lines in the play to further characterise Lady Macbeth.

The simple repetition of the words, bed and come alert the reader/audience to Lady Macbeths distraught and crazy nature – it portrays her mental illness, grief and guilt. ∞ “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff;/Beware the Thane of Fife.” (4,1,69-70). Repetition is used in the dialogue between the apparition and Macbeth as the ghost warns Macbeth about his dire future. The repetition of “Macbeth” emphasizes the urgency of the apparition’s prophecy whilst the word “beware” foreshadows Macbeth’s demise. This warning turns out to be the truth as Macduff kills Macbeth as he is not of woman-born.

Act 4, Scene 1 (this is a rather large quote): “…Though you untie the winds and let them fight Against the churches; though the yesty waves Confound and swallow navigation up; Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down; Though castles topple on their warders’ heads; Though palaces and pyramids do slope Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure Of nature’s germens tumble all together, Even till destruction sicken; answer me To what I ask you.” The repetition of the word ‘though’ represents all the things that go wrong in Macbeth’s plan to become (and maintain the position of) the king of Scotland, and could also possibly refer to the frequent murders that he needs to commission in order to maintain his position on the throne. This also represents Macbeth’s complete faith in the witche’s prophecies, i.e. that nothing will overthrow him apart from the wood moving to Dunsinane and the man that has not been naturally born from a woman. May 29, 2012 at 12:02 am ∞ The repetition of the ‘d’ sound emphasises a heavy, dramatic action or speech taking place.

Shakespeare’s use of repetition in this scene portrays the ‘deed’ being complete for King Duncan thus portraying his loyalty to the King (which is later revealed to be untrue). Repetition instantaneously creates a rhythm in the readers/viewers mind emphasising the word being repeated (DONE). This beat can be a-likened to the beat of a hear portraying an increase of dramatic tension. I tried to post this so many times with it only restarting and deleting my comment.. thankyou school wifi! Toil and Trouble: The Curse of Macbeth Toil and Trouble: The Curse of Macbeth They simply call it "The Scottish Play", because even to utter the title of Shakespeare's Macbeth is to invite bad luck. The very same bad luck, in fact, that has plagued performances throughout its history, according to theater lore. From tragedies onstage to deaths and riots surrounding performances, the curse of Macbeth is one of the most enduring superstitions of the stage, and seems to be taken quite seriously. The basic claim is that performing Macbeth, or even speaking its title in a theater, invokes an ancient curse as old as the play. This curse strikes actors or other people associated with the performance, sometimes killing or maiming them.

This curse, so goes the tale, has its roots in the play's occult storyline of witchcraft, murder, and ghosts. The most often cited reason for the curse is a belief at the time that Shakespeare had used real witches' incantations in the famous scene where the three witches chant: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. The legend is that Shakespeare wanted to throw something special into the play to please King James, who had written the 1597 book Daemonologie which discussed witchcraft and warned against its use. So Shakespeare used some of King James' documented incantations in the scene, probably hoping to ingratiate himself with the King. No good evidence exists for this, but the story maintains that some practicing witches saw the play and took great offense at this misuse of their sacred craft, and placed a curse upon any who might perform Macbeth. Now, whenever the play is given, the three witches whose spells were appropriated are awoken and it is they who cause the disasters onstage. If you search the Internet for examples of such disasters, you'll find plenty.

I could rattle on for 25 minutes just listing some of the many that have been reported: Actors being killed or injured during the stage fights when real weapons were used by mistake, natural disasters happening during performances, accidents and illnesses striking the crew before and after shows; the list goes on and on until you're bored to death and would be glad to count yourself among the casualties. One such episode, however, deserves special mention for its extraordinarily high body count. Often cited as the most dramatic evidence of the curse is a riot that erupted at the Astor Place Theater in New York in 1849. The National Guard was called and fired on the crowd, killing at least 25 people and injuring some 120, all due to rival support for two different actors playing Macbeth on the same night at two different theaters. At least, that's usually how it's framed by fans of the curse. In fact, the Astor Place Riot had everything to do with class struggles in New York City, and little to do with Macbeth. Unrest had been growing for years between the working class, which included many Irish immigrants, and the Anglophile upper class.

The discontent was coming to a head, and the National Guard was already in place some days before the actual riot on Macbeth's opening night. Irish and American workers planned to express themselves by crashing the opening night of the upper class's favorite British actor, William Macready. They stoned and tried to burn down the theater, people started shooting guns, and by morning the cobblestones were awash with blood. The next night an angry mob demanded an explanation from the authorities, and more violence ensued, this time resulting in the death of a young boy. The Astor Place Theater had been built, apparently, largely as a way for the well-heeled to have somewhere to go other than the Bowery Theater, traditionally the principal theater in town, but which catered to all classes. The rising American star with a blue collar image, Edwin Forrest, planned his opening on the same night as Macready's largely as a slap in the face to this rising elitist sentiment. So although the riots were technically touched off by performances of Macbeth, the play itself had nothing to do with them. The riots were due, and would have happened whether Macbeth existed or not.

If the three witches had chosen this particular performance to cast spells and cause trouble, they would have been well advised to hide under a table. Many people have tried to put forth rational explanations for the events attributed to the curse. Often cited is that Macbeth has a lot of dim lighting and fight scenes using stage weapons. Such weapons are still dangerous, just not very sharp; and you're bound to have statistically more injuries in any play that has weapon fights than in plays that don't. Statistically, we should also expect more falls and other onstage accidents in plays with dim lighting. Even in brightly lit plays, it's hard enough to see what you're doing onstage because of the stage lights shining in your eyes; in a dimly lit scene, you could easily be practically blind. I don't really buy the dim lighting explanation. Granted my own stage experience is fairly limited, but when I'm brightly lit is when I have the hardest time seeing. Dim lighting, even no lighting, lets my eyes adjust and I can see my way around much better than when I'm blinded by spotlights. Other stage performers' experiences may vary. But let's stop here and think back to the skeptical process.

One of our fundamental rules is that before trying to explain a strange event, you must first establish whether that strange event ever actually happened. In this case, we need not bother looking into the validity of the curse, or any other such thing, unless and until we've established that there is in fact a history of mysterious accidents associated with the performance of Macbeth that deviates beyond the range of what typically happens in plays. I was inspired by an earlier success I had when researching the curse of King Tut , when I discovered that a doctor had performed a retrospective cohort study on the people who were alleged to have fallen victim to that curse. He discovered that, when analyzed properly, the curse (if it existed) was not a terribly effective one. The lifespans of those who were exposed to the curse did not significantly differ from those who were not exposed. Encouraged by the publication of this study (it was in the British Medical Journal), I turned to all the scholarly sources to see if anyone had performed a proper statistical analysis of theater accidents, ideally involving Macbeth. I even assigned this task to my backup research team, a Google Groups list to whom I'll throw a question or two on occasion when I have trouble tracking something down.

It's a heck of a list; hundreds of scientists and researchers in virtually every discipline, but even this mighty team came up short. We couldn't find any such research published anywhere. There is no end to scholarly articles discussing the curse: Lists of tragic events, Shakespeare's history with King James and the witches, and how to combat the curse (leave the theater, spin around, spout some profanity); but not a whisper inquiring into the proving curse's existence. So, college students, there's a research project for you. This would not be easy. First you'd have to eliminate things like natural disasters that can't reasonably be attributed to the performance, and things like accidents striking people weeks after the play. To include these would require you to also correlate any other plays the victim may have attended, since it makes just as much sense to blame the accident on a different play he may have also seen in the same time period. Theaters may have records of accidents occurring on their premises, and those dates could certainly be matched with whatever was being performed.

The number of cast and crew required would likely impact the chances of an accident for any given show, as would the use of dangerous equipment like lights, trap doors, flying harnesses, trickery scenery, and stage weapons. All of these things would need to be taken into account. It's little wonder that we couldn't find a record of such a study being performed. Even the longest of the published lists of tragedies associated with Macbeth performances does not seem surprising, considering that we're talking about one of the world's most popular plays that has been performed constantly worldwide for more than 400 years. But since it appears that no analysis has been done, we can't conclude for certain that Macbeth is any more or less dangerous to perform than any other play. The longest lists I've seen include perhaps twenty or thirty tragedies. Considering that there have been unknown tens of thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands) of Macbeth performances, the curse (if it exists at all) appears to be decidedly impotent. An actor probably stands a greater chance of having a car accident on his way to the theater than he has of being struck by the curse of Macbeth — that's another research project for a student.

Therefore, since we can't establish that the curse exists, we don't yet have a confirmed phenomenon to explain. We have a tall tale, told and retold over the centuries, and sufficient reason to suspect that wizened veteran actors may enjoy having a little fun at the expense of the newbies, perpetuating the story of a curse regardless of whether the actual number of associated accidents deviates from the norm. Let's also keep in mind that the legend of the curse began almost right away when Shakespeare originally opened the play. Shakespeare was probably not a fool and knew that there's no such thing as bad publicity. What show's ticket sales would suffer if word got out that one of the actors might be accidentally killed during the performance? A little curse never hurt anybody (well, maybe a few). So the curse of Macbeth: fact or fiction? I'm going to remain unconvinced that there's anything extraordinary going on, but will eagerly take a look at any good research that emerges. A list of anecdotes on the Internet is insufficient to prove that a supernatural force must be in effect. Cite this article: Dunning, B. "Toil and Trouble: The Curse of Macbeth." Skeptoid Podcast.

Skeptoid Media, 7 Sep 2010. Web. 19 Jan 2017. < References & Further Reading Bernauw, P. "The Curse of Macbeth." Unexplained Mysteries. Unexplained-Mysteries.com, 10 Aug. 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. < Cliff, N. The Shakespeare Riots: Revenge, Drama, and Death in Nineteenth-Century America. New York: Random House, 2007. Crystal, D., Crystal, B. The Shakespeare Miscellany. Woodstock: Overlook Press, 2005. 176-177. Homberger, E. Mrs. Astor's New York: Money and Social Power in a Gilded Age. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004. 109-110. Huggett, R. Supernatural on Stage: Ghosts and Superstitions of the Theater. New York: Taplinger, 1975. Nelson, Mark R. "The Mummy's Curse: Historical Cohort Study." British Medical Journal. 21 Dec.

2002, 325(7378): 1482-1485. Copyright ©2017 Skeptoid Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Rights and reuse information Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 - the forms and utterances of the three apparitions Explanatory Notes for Act 4, Scene 1 From Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co. (Line numbers have been altered.) _____ The interest in this act centres around Macbeth's relation to Macduff, who has been already pointed out as his sole opponent among the Scottish nobles. In the first scene, Macbeth is warned against him by name and resolves to put him to death; in the second, assassins, who have come too late to find him in his castle, massacre by Macbeth's orders his entire household; in the third we find him in England stirring up Malcolm to war against the tyrant, receiving the terrible news of the slaughter of his wife and children, and vowing revenge upon their murderer.

We see less of Macbeth in this act than in any other, but we see enough to show us how, by this time, he has wholly given himself over to evil. The difference between the Macbeth whom the witches waylaid and the Macbeth who seeks them out has been already pointed out. Even more terrible is the difference between the Macbeth who was "too full o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way," and the Macbeth who orders the massacre of Macduff's wife and children. The wanton cruelty of this crime, by which Macbeth has absolutely nothing to gain, marks the lowest point of his fall. At the close of the act, we join with Macduff in thinking of him as "this fiend of Scotland," and look forward eagerly to the punishment that is about to be meted out to him. It will be shown later on with what art the poet contrives to regain for him a certain portion of our sympathy. The witches who know that Macbeth is coming to consult them are revealed in a cavern preparing their enchantments. We may suppose that the caldron with all its horrible ingredients was necessary to call up the apparitions which the witches mean to show Macbeth.

The student should note carefully the forms and utterances of these apparitions, and consider in what way their words confirm Macbeth in his evil purposes, and embolden him against repentance. The speeches of the witches are thrown into the same trochaic metre that they have employed on their former appearances. The difference between this and the light iambic metre in which Hecate speaks, is one of the main reasons for rejecting that character as the interpolation of another poet than Shakespeare. Please click here for detailed explanatory notes for the Witches' Chants (4.1.1-47) and analysis. 50. conjure, adjure. The accent is on the first syllable. The whole speech is very characteristic of the desperate recklessness of Macbeth. He is determined to have an answer from the witches, no matter what storms their enchantments raise, and no matter what destruction of life and property results. 50. profess, make claim to know. 53. yesty, frothy, like yeast. 54. navigation, ships. 55. bladed corn, corn in the green ear. 55. lodged, beaten down. 57. pyramids, towers, or steeples.

59. germens, seeds of life. 63. our masters, the evil spirits, whom the witches serve and who presently take shape as the three apparitions. 64. eaten. According to an old Scotch law a sow who ate her pigs was to be stoned to death as a monster. 65. nine farrow, litter of nine. 67. high or low, great spirit or small. 68. deftly, fitly. 68. The "armed," i.e. helmeted, head represents Macbeth's own head which was destined to be cut off by Macduff. The bloody child represents Macduff, who had been ripped from his mother's womb. Note the concealed meaning in the witch's statement that this apparition is more potent than the first. 74. harp'd, touched. 78. Had I ... hear thee, if I had more ears than I have, I'd listen to you with all of them; a figurative way of saying that Macbeth is listening with eager attention. 83. double, used here as an adverb. 84. take a bond of fate.

"Fate" is probably used here in the sense of "Death." Macbeth intends to kill Macduff, and by so doing he will obtain a "bond," a sure pledge, from Death that Macduff will never harm him. Thus he will be doubly sure, first by the prediction just uttered, next by Macduff's death. 86. sleep in spite of thunder. Macbeth has already complained of his restless sleeplessness. It is natural to suppose that a stormy night, recalling to him the terrors of the night in which he murdered Duncan, would still further heighten his distress. But he thinks that if he can get rid of his last fear by killing Macduff, he will be able to rest again. 86. The third apparition represents young Malcolm; the tree represents Birnam wood. 88, 89. round And top, the crown and highest attainment. 93. Birnam wood, a forest twelve miles from Dunsinane. In this line "Dunsinane" is accented on the second syllable, elsewhere in the play on the first. 95. impress, force into service. 96. bodements, predictions. 97.

Rebellious head, an army of rebels. 98. our high-placed Macbeth. The phrase seems rather awkward, coming from Macbeth himself. Possibly "our" has something of the force of the royal "We" in it. "High-placed" is thought by Dr. Liddell to refer to Macbeth's situation on Dunsinane hill. 99. the lease of nature the allotted span. 100. mortal custom, the custom of mortality, i.e. death. 106. noise, music. 111. Eight King, the eight sovereigns of the Scottish house of Stuart, from Robert II to James VI, inclusive. According to Holinshed, this house traced its descent back to Banquo. 118. I'll see, I wish to see. 119. a glass, a magic glass by means of which one could foresee the future. The eighth king who bears the glass is James VI of Scotland, ruling in England as James I when this play was written. Shakespeare meant to pay him a compliment by declaring that many of his descendants should reign. The present king of England is descended on the mother's side from James I. 121.

balls, the golden orb carried by the monarch at his coronation. James was twice crowned, once in Scotland, and once in England. 121. treble sceptres, indicating the official title of the English monarchs from James I to George III, viz.: "King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland." 122. A syllable is wanting in the third foot. Its place is supplied by the pause after Macbeth's ejaculation, "Horrible sight!" 123. blood-bolter'd, with hair matted with blood. 124. What, is this so? These words, and the following lines to 132, inclusive, are almost certainly interpolated. Macbeth has just said, "I see 'tis true," and it is therefore out of keeping for him to ask the witches, "is this so?" The metre of the witch's speech is like that of Hecate in iii. 5, and unlike that which Shakespeare uses for the witches, and the suggestion of the witch that she and her sisters cheer up Macbeth by a dance, is too absurd to need discussion.

The passage is one of the spectacular interpolations with which the reviser sought to increase the drawing power of Macbeth. 132. Our duties ... pay, our dutiful service (shown in the dance) gave him a welcome; an awkward and un-Shakespearean line. 134. Stand ... calendar, became a day marked in the calendar as one of ill omen. 127. sprites, spirits. 130. antic, fantastic, grotesque. 135. Enter Lennox. Lennox, we must imagine, had accompanied Macbeth on his visit to the witches, but had been left outside the cave. There is a distinct significance in the fact that the lord who, in the preceding scene, had called Macbeth a tyrant, appears here as his confidential companion. In spite of his spies Macbeth did not know how his nobles hated him. 139. damn'd all those that trust them, Macbeth does not realize that he is pronouncing judgment on himself, for, in spite of the show of the kings, he still trusts in the predictions of the witches. 144. anticipatest, preventest. MACBETH, Act 4, Scene 1 Thunder.

Enter the three WITCHES. First Witch 1 Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd. Second Witch 2 Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined. Third Witch 3. Harpier: Apparently the name of the familiar spirit of Third Witch. The name suggests "Harpy," which in Greek mythology is a loathsome monster with the head and chest of a woman, and the remainder of its body in the shape of a predatory bird. 3 Harpier cries "'Tis time, 'tis time." 4 Round about the cauldron go; 5. In the poison'd entrails throw: throw the poisoned entrails in. 5 In the poison'd entrails throw. 6 Toad, that under cold stone 7-8. Days ... got: has for thirty-one days and nights sweated out venom while sleeping. 7 Days and nights has thirty-one 8 Swelter'd venom sleeping got, 9 Boil thou first i' the charmed pot. ALL 10. double: In Shakespeare's time, "double" also meant "deceptive." 10 Double, double toil and trouble; 11 Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Second Witch 12 Fillet of a fenny snake, 13 In the cauldron boil and bake; 14 Eye of newt and toe of frog, 15 Wool of bat and tongue of dog, 16 Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, 17 Lizard's leg and howlet's wing, 18 For a charm of powerful trouble, 19 Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. ALL 20 Double, double toil and trouble; 21 Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Third Witch 22 Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, 23. mummy: medicine made from mummified flesh. maw and gulf: stomach and gullet. 24. ravin'd: ravenous. 25. hemlock: a poisonous plant. 23 Witches' mummy, maw and gulf 24 Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark, 25 Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark, 26 Liver of blaspheming Jew, 27. Gall: gallbladder; bile. yew a tree considered a symbol of sadness.

28. Sliver'd: cut off. 27 Gall of goat, and slips of yew 28 Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse, 29. Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips: Both Turks and Tartars were considered to be cruelly violent. 29 Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips, 30 Finger of birth-strangled babe 31. drab: whore. To get rid of her baby on the sly, the whore would deliver it in a ditch and then strangle it. 32. slab: sticky. 33. chaudron: entrails. 31 Ditch-deliver'd by a drab, 32 Make the gruel thick and slab. 33 Add thereto a tiger's chaudron, 34 For the ingredients of our cauldron. ALL 35 Double, double toil and trouble; 36 Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Second Witch 37 Cool it with a baboon's blood, 38 Then the charm is firm and good. ** Enter HECAT and the other three WITCHES. HECATE 39-44. Enter HECAT ...

[Exit HECATE.]: The general opinion of Shakespeare scholars is that everything between Hecate's entrance and her exit was inserted after Shakespeare wrote the play. A song by the name of "Black spirits" appears in a later play, Thomas Middleton's The Witch, which was performed about 1615. Open the text of the song . 39 O well done! I commend your pains; 40 And every one shall share i' the gains; 41 And now about the cauldron sing, 42 Live elves and fairies in a ring 43 Enchanting all that you put in. Music and a song: "Black spirits, etc." [Exit HECATE.] 48 How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! 49 What is't you do? ALL A deed without a name. MACBETH 50. that which you profess: i.e., the demonic arts in which you are expert. 50 I conjure you, by that which you profess, 51 Howe'er you come to know it, answer me: 52 Though you untie the winds and let them fight 53. yesty: yeasty, foamy.

53 Against the churches; though the yesty waves 54. Confound and swallow navigation up: i.e., destroy and drown all ships at sea. 55. bladed corn be lodged: ripe grain be beaten down [by storms]. 56. warders: keepers, guardians. 57. slope: bend. 54 Confound and swallow navigation up; 55 Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down; 56 Though castles topple on their warders' heads; 57 Though palaces and pyramids do slope 58-60. though the treasure / Of nature's germains tumble all together, / Even till destruction sicken: though the most precious seeds of nature fall into utter chaos, even to the point that death and destruction get sick of their own work. 58 Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure 59 Of nature's germains tumble all together, 60 Even till destruction sicken, answer me 61 To what I ask you. First Witch 62 Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths, 63 Or from our masters? MACBETH Call 'em; let me see 'em.

First Witch 64 Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten 65. nine farrow: litter of nine. 65-66. grease that's sweaten / From the murderer's gibbet The "murderer's gibbet" is the gallows where a murderer is hung, and where the corpse was often left to hang as a warning to others. After about ten days in warm weather the liquefied fat of the corpse sweats through the skin, drips down, and forms puddles of grease. 65 Her nine farrow; grease that's sweaten 66 From the murderer's gibbet throw 67 Into the flame. 68. Thyself and office: yourself and your function. 68 Thyself and office deftly show! an armed Head: a head wearing a helmet. This apparition may foreshadow Macbeth's beheading by Macduff. Image Source: Thunder. FIRST APPARITION, an armed Head. MACBETH 69 Tell me, thou unknown power First Witch 70 Hear his speech, but say thou nought. First Apparition 71 Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

beware Macduff; 72 Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. He descends: The apparition is probably lowered through a trap door, as though sinking to hell. He descends. 73. caution: warning. 73 Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks; 74. Thou hast harp'd my fear aright: you have touched the exact note of what I fear. 74 Thou hast harp'd my fear aright. But one word more First Witch 75 He will not be commanded. Here's another, 76 More potent than the first. a bloody Child.: This apparition foreshadows the hidden meaning of the prophecy that "none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth." < More. > Thunder. SECOND APPARITION, a bloody Child. Second Apparition 82 Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee? 83 But yet I'll make assurance double sure, 84. take a bond of fate: get a guarantee from fate. thou shalt not live: i.e., you, Macduff, must die. 85. That: so that.

The "pale-hearted fear" is Macbeth's own; despite being told that "none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth," he fears Macduff. 84 And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live; 85 That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, 86 And sleep in spite of thunder. Thunder. THIRD APPARITION, a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand. What is this 87. like: in the likeneness of. the issue of a king: the descendant of a king. 88. round / And top of sovereignty: i.e., royal crown. 87 That rises like the issue of a king, 88 And wears upon his baby-brow the round 89 And top of sovereignty? ALL Listen, but speak not to't. Third Apparition 90 Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care 91. Who chafes, who frets: i.e., who gets hot and bothered. conspirers: conspirators [against Macbeth].

Dunsinane Hill 91 Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: 92 Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until 93 Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill 94 Shall come against him. Descend. 95. impress: draft as soldiers. 95 Who can impress the forest, bid the tree 96. bodements: prophecies. 96 Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements! good! 97. Rebellious dead: i.e., Banquo? Duncan? Editors often change this phrase to "Rebellious head," meaning "an armed force of rebellion on the march." 99-100. live ... custom: i.e., live out a full life, and die only of old age, as is customary. 101. art: magic. 97 Rebellious dead, rise never till the wood 98 Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth 99 Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath 100 To time and mortal custom.

Yet my heart 101 Throbs to know one thing: tell me, if your art 102. issue: descendants. 102 Can tell so much, shall Banquo's issue ever 103 Reign in this kingdom? ALL Seek to know no more. MACBETH ALL 110 Show his eyes, and grieve his heart; 111. Come like shadows, so depart: Come like shadows (spirits, ghosts), and leave the same way. 111 Come like shadows, so depart! A show of eight KINGS, [the eighth] with glass: mirror. a glass in his hand, and BANQUO last. MACBETH 112. Thou ... Banquo: you look too much like the ghost of Banquo. Down!: Macbeth is demanding that the spirit sink out of sight. 114. other: second. is like: matches. 112 Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo. Down! 113 Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls. And thy hair, 114 Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first. 115 A third is like the former.

Filthy hags! 116. Start, eyes!: jump [out their sockets], [my] eyes! Macbeth doesn't want to see any more. 116 Why do you show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes! 117 What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom? 118 Another yet! A seventh! I'll see no more: 119. bears a glass: holds a mirror. 119 And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass 120 Which shows me many more; and some I see 121. two-fold balls and treble scepters: This indicates kingship of both England and Scotland. < More. > 121 That two-fold balls and treble scepters carry: 122 Horrible sight! Now, I see, 'tis true; 123. blood-bolter'd: with hair matted with blood. 123 For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me, 124 And points at them for his. [Apparitions vanish.] First Witch 125-132. Ay, sir . .

pay: It is the opinion of many Shakespearean scholars that lines 125-132 were inserted after Shakespeare wrote the play, in order to introduce the dance of the witches. Those scholars also believe that Shakespeare didn't intend the witches to dance. 126. amazedly: as in a trance. 127. sprites: spirits. 130. antic round: wild dance. 131. That: in order that. 125 Ay, sir, all this is so. But why 126 Stands Macbeth thus amazedly? 127 Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites, 128 And show the best of our delights: 129 I'll charm the air to give a sound, 130 While you perform your antic round, 131 That this great king may kindly say, 132. Our duties did his welcome pay: our ceremonies repaid the welcome he gave us. This is snide; Macbeth, rather than welcoming the witches, called them "hags" and demanded information from them. 132 Our duties did his welcome pay. Music. The Witches dance and vanish.

MACBETH 133 Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour 134 Stand aye accursed in the calendar! 135. Come in, without there: come in, whoever is there, outside. 135 Come in, without there! Enter LENNOX. 143 Ay, my good lord. MACBETH [Aside.] 144-146. Time ... with it : time, you forestall my dreadful exploits; the always-fleeing purpose is never overtaken unless the deed goes with it. In all probability, Macbeth's "purpose" had been to kill Macduff. Now he is angry with himself that he let slip his chance to do so. He reflects that we never catch up with what we intend to do unless we do it right away. 147. firstlings: first born. 144 Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits: 145 The flighty purpose never is o'ertook 146 Unless the deed go with it; from this moment 147 The very firstlings of my heart shall be 148 The firstlings of my hand.

And even now, 149 To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done: 150 The castle of Macduff I will surprise; 151. Seize upon Fife: take possession of Fife [Macduff's castle and all his land]. 151 Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword 152 His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls 153. That trace him in his line: follow him in his family line; i.e., are related to him in any way. Macbeth plans to wipe out anyone who might have any possible claim to Fife. 153 That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool; 154 This deed I'll do before this purpose cool. 155 But no more sights!Where are these gentlemen? 156 Come, bring me where they are. Exeunt. How does the witches' rhyming couplet refrain add to atmosphere in Macbeth? | eNotes How does the witches' rhyming couplet refrain add to atmosphere in Macbeth?

Doug Stuva | High School Teacher | (Level 1) Educator Emeritus Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:56 AM The Elizabethan stage practices of Shakespeare's time would not have provided any information to the audience about weather (nor about time of day, location, etc., for that matter). Information about the weather in Macbeth comes from dialogue. When the witches say that fair is foul and foul is fair, they indicate a stormy day, or a day involving some kind of bad or odd weather, unnatural weather; particularly when they follow this line by referring to fog and filthy air. The refrain also meshes with the choice of day the three shall meet again on as offered by the First Witch in line two of the same scene: "In thunder, lightning, or in rain?" Notice no fair weather option is offered. Macbeth, or course, echoes the refrain just before meeting the witches for the first time in Act 1.3, again highlighting the weather. More important than the physical atmosphere (the weather), however, is the refrain's contribution to the ideas of reversal in the play. Gender roles are reversed (Macbeth and his wife).

Grass and hay eating horses become cannibals. People that should be and appear to be loyal are not (Cawdor, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth). Reversals, opposites are so common that even an honest and loyal thane like Macduff is suspected of being what he's not (disloyal) by Malcolm. Little is as it should be in the play: what's fair is foul and what's foul is fair. like 1 dislike 0 January 27, 2011 at 2:49 AM The famous lines " Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble " have much power in Act IV, sc 1. When the act opens, there is thunder, and the setting is in a cavern with a boiling cauldron in the middle of the cavern. Before the witches even begin reciting their spells, the atmosphere is dark and foreboding. The couplet is used three times for power. The more they recite/repeat the couplet, the strong the potion will be.

The repetition also gives power to the atmosphere because the more they chant it, the louder they get and the cavern fills with the weather, the bubbling cauldron and the chanting. It's very much a threatening scene. like 1 dislike 0 Double, double, toil and trouble: A Guide to the Witches' Chants Fillet of a fenny snake , In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and howlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. All Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Third Witch

Question: What word is repeated before "toil and trouble" in "Macbeth"?
Answer: Double