The Witches of Macbeth
indeed are ridiculous on the modern stage, and we doubt if the
furies of Aeschylus would be more respected. The progress of manners
and knowledge has an influence on the stage, and will in time
perhaps destroy both tragedy and comedy. Filch's picking pockets, in
the Beggars' Opera, is not so good a jest as it used to be: by the
force of the police and of philosophy, Lillo's murders and the
ghosts in Shakespeare will become obsolete. At last there will be
nothing left, good nor bad, to be desired or dreaded, on the theatre
or in real life. A question has been started with respect to the
originality of Shakespeare's Witches, which has been well answered
by Mr. Lamb in his notes to the Specimens of Early Dramatic Poetry:
"Though some resemblance may be traced between the charms in Macbeth
and the incantations in this play (the Witch of Middleton), which is
supposed to have preceded it, this coincidence will not detract much
from the originality of Shakespeare. His Witches are distinguished
from the Witches of Middleton by essential differences. These are
creatures to whom man or woman plotting some dire mischief might
resort for occasional consultation. Those originate deeds of blood,
and begin bad impulses to men. From the moment that their eyes first
meet with Macbeth's, he is spellbound.
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