1. Prophetic Abilities: The witches have the ability to foresee and predict future events. They deliver cryptic prophecies to MacBeth, sparking his ambition and setting in motion the tragic chain of events.
2. Manipulation: The witches have the power to manipulate and influence the minds of individuals. They appear as apparitions, whisper prophecies, and cast illusions to sway MacBeth's decisions.
3. Conjuration: The witches are capable of conjuring visions, apparitions, and other supernatural beings. These include the phantom dagger that guides MacBeth to commit murder and the ghost of Banquo, which haunts him.
4. Spellcasting: The witches are skilled in casting spells and incantations. They use these spells to create a mist that conceals MacBeth's movements during his assassination of Duncan and to protect him from certain weapons.
5. Weather Manipulation: The witches have the ability to control and manipulate weather conditions. They can call upon storms, lightning, and thunder to heighten the atmosphere of chaos and fear.
6. Illusion Creation: The witches are masters of illusion and deception. They create illusory visions and apparitions to mislead, confuse, and torment Macbeth, playing a crucial role in his spiraling descent into madness and paranoia.
7. Knowledge of the Supernatural: The witches possess a deep understanding of the supernatural realm, and they share this knowledge with MacBeth. They reveal information about the Weird Sisters, the three witches who oversee fate and destiny.
Their powers are integral to the play's themes of fate, prophecy, and the destructive power of unchecked ambition. The witches act as supernatural agents that drive the narrative towards its tragic conclusion.