Initially, Macbeth approaches them with a mix of fear and fascination:
* "Speak, I charge you." (Act 1, Scene 3): This demonstrates his authority, but also his fear of the witches and their power.
* "Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more." (Act 1, Scene 3): He demands more information, showing his curiosity and desire for their prophecies.
* "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble." (Act 4, Scene 1): He joins in their incantation, highlighting his growing connection to them.
As he becomes more ambitious and consumed by his desire for power, he addresses them with a sense of desperation and control:
* "What are these, So withered and so wild in their attire, That look not like the inhabitants o' th' earth, And yet are on't?" (Act 1, Scene 3): He questions their nature, trying to understand their power.
* "By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes." (Act 4, Scene 1): He anticipates their arrival, showing his growing connection to the witches' dark magic.
* "Show his eyes, and grieve his heart; Come like shadows, so depart!" (Act 4, Scene 1): He demands their help in achieving his goals, highlighting his growing dependence on them.
Ultimately, Macbeth's interactions with the witches highlight his descent into darkness and the consequences of his actions:
* "Why do you show me this? A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?" (Act 2, Scene 1): He questions the witches' influence, showing his fear and denial.
* "I will to-morrow, and betimes I will, To the weird sisters: More shall they speak; For now I am bent to know, by the worst means, The worst." (Act 3, Scene 1): He seeks them out, now fully embracing their dark power and his ambition.
* "And be these juggling fiends no more believ'd, That palter with us in a double sense, That keep the word of promise to our ear, And break it to our hope." (Act 5, Scene 5): He realizes he has been manipulated and betrayed, and that he has been consumed by the witches' darkness.
Macbeth's interactions with the witches are a complex and crucial element of the play. They represent his growing ambition, his descent into darkness, and the ultimate consequences of his actions.