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Macbeth Glossary

When the hurlyburly's done

Second Witch. When the hurlyburly's done,
When the battle's lost and won. (1.1.4-5)

i.e., when the commotion on the battlefield is over. The Witches' first prophesy is made possible by the battle and Macbeth's success as a warrior.

Back to Macbeth (1.1)


How to cite this article:
Mabillard, Amanda. Macbeth Glossary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2009. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethglossary/macbeth1_1/macbethglos_hurlyburly.html >.




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Notes on Macbeth

"The "Weird Sisters" in Macbeth seem to us neither on the one hand mere mortal witches of popular superstition, nor yet, as Holinshed states, and as their name would imply, do we see in them "goddesses of destiny" -- "fates" determining human actions and issues without regard to that fundamental essence of personality, will. They know the future and can foretell events; yet they are not able of themselves to make those events come to pass." N.B. Bowman Read on...

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