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CENTRAL IDEA:

In Macbeth Act 1, Scene 3, Macbeth and Banquo come across the

three witches in the heath near the battlefield. The witches tell
Macbeth that he is to be the Thane of Cawdor, and eventually king. ...
But then the Thane of Ross arrives and tells Macbeth that he is indeed
the Thane of Cawdor. The first prophecy has come true.

Modern English
First Witch
Where have you been, sister?
Second Witch
Killing pigs.
Third Witch
And you, sister?
First Witch
There was a sailor's wife with chestnuts in her lap, which she ate, and
ate, and ate. 'Give me some,' I said. 'Scram, witch!' she yelled. Her
husband, the captain of the ship Tiger, is on his way to Aleppo. I’m going
to sail there in a kitchen strainer to overtake his ship, and take on the
form of a tailless rat so I can sneak on board. Then I’ll get my revenge.
Second Witch
I’ll give you control of a wind from one direction.
First Witch
That’s nice.
Third Witch
I’ll give you another wind.
First Witch
I myself control the winds from all the other points of the compass, and
thus I can control access to any port.
I’ll keep him at sea until his fresh water runs out so he’s as dry as hay. I
won’t let him sleep, night or day. He’ll be denied everything. He’ll waste
away, kept exhausted for eighty-one weeks. Although I can’t destroy his
ship, I can hit it with storms. Look here at what I have.
Second Witch
Show me, show me.
First Witch
I have the thumb of a sailor who died in a shipwreck just before he
reached home.