THE THREE WITCHES

They appear several times in the play to predict Macbeth's future. The witches introduce an element of the supernatural and symbolize the obscure power of evil which tempts man; their prophecies represent Macbeth's hidden desires. Their words have an ambiguous meaning which Macbeth does not immediately understand, they insinuate that things are not what they seem ('fair is evil, and foul is good'), so preparing Macbeth and the audience for the events to come.