An interesting bit of etymology about the word "weird" is that it comes from the Old English word "wyrd" meaning "fate." The witches are very similar to the Fates in mythology who shared an eye and could see the future for mortals. They cut the threads in the tapestry of life when they were supposed to, but had no control over the actions of the humans who had free will.
Similarly, the witches in Macbeth share information that can be interpreted in multiple ways (the apparitions who tell him he can not fall until the forest marches up the hill, that no man born of woman can harm him, and that he must beware Macduff). They have no real control over Macbeth since he has free will, but they know that giving him a false sense of security will cause him to make erroneous choices. They enjoy toying with mortals (for example, the sailor's wife who refused to share her chestnuts), but Hecate and the "betters" are the ones with the real power.
No comments:
Post a Comment