FIRST WITCH: When shall we three meet again
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
SECOND WITCH: When the hurly-burly’s done,
When the battle’s lost and won.
– William Shakespeare
Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 1. The Witches meet at the beginning of the play to discuss their future meeting with Macbeth. Here Shakespeare uses the motif of weather to foreshadow future events. The thunder and lightning suggest that there will an upset in the order when they meet with Macbeth. The “hurly-burly” is also suggestive of revolt and chaos that Scotland will soon face.