Witchy Words Short Answer

Three witches meet Macbeth and Banquo after a battle and give Macbeth mysterious predictions about his future. They say he will be king, which sets off a dangerous chain of thoughts. Macbeth becomes obsessed with the idea, acting on it in harmful ways. The passage questions whether fate or choice controls our lives.

This passage introduces students to the literary device of prophecy and encourages them to explore the idea of fate vs. free will. They build vocabulary through descriptive, magical language. Analyzing the witches’ words helps students practice close reading and interpretation. It also teaches theme recognition, which is key in literature studies.