Macbeth is a play that has many different reoccurring motifs. Among these motifs are supernatural occurrences, paradoxes, manhood and atmosphere or weather. Although there are many different motifs, clearly the supernatural and weather are dominant and reoccur the most and therefore play an important role in the play.
             The play starts with the three witches. This scene has a mystical setting illustrated with "thunder and lightning." This scene includes ideas of weather and supernatural, which go hand in hand throughout the story. One witch says, "When shall we three meet again?/In thunder, lightning, or in rain?". This is the second line of the play and already there are references to weather. At the end of the scene, all together, the witches chant, "...Hover through the fog and filthy air." This statement includes both images of supernatural (hover) and images of weather (fog and filthy air). The witches are a main source of the supernatural occurrences in the play. They also give an impression of fear, horror and mystery. It is important of them to start the play, as they are the catalysts for all Macbeth's decisions, thus it is obvious they affect the play quite a bit. Some of their supernatural abilities are foretelling the future and defying the laws of nature. But their powers are ambiguous; they have to answer to Hecate. They cannot make Macbeth kill Duncan. Instead, in every way possible, they create an atmosphere, which manipulates him and makes him want to kill Duncan.
             After Lady Macbeth receives her husband's letter, she is eager to talk him into committing the murder she knows that he has in mind. To prepare herself, she calls upon evil spirits to "Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose." "Compunctious visitings of nature" are the messages of our natural human conscience, which tell us that we...