Say, from whence
You owe this strange intelligence? or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.
– William Shakespeare
Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3. The theme of appearance vs reality, or things not being what they seem, is found in this passage. A questioning and frustrated Macbeth demands to know where the Witches got their information that he will be Thane of Cawdor and more importantly King of Scotland. He doesn’t understand how he can be Thane of Cawdor when the person in that position is still alive. Macbeth’s use of the aggressive adjective “blasted” shows how more interested he is the Witches’ predictions than his friend Banquo who has an entirely indifferent reaction. The Witches vanish just as Macbeth speaks these words.