Consulting Journal: Trifles

Trifles: Macbeth

by David Blakey

Of all the references to management consultants in the works of Shakespeare, Macbeth provides the most.

[Monday 1 April 2002]

Act 1

The three witches in Macbeth meet in the first scene of the first act of the play.

First Witch. When shall we three meet again
In thunder, lightning or in rain?
Second Witch. When the hurlyburly's done,
When the battle's lost and won.
Third Witch. That will be ere the set of sun.
First witch. Where the place?
Second Witch. Upon the heath.
Third Witch. There to meet with Macbeth
First Witch. I come, Graymalkin!
Second Witch. Paddock calls!
Third Witch. Anon!
All. Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air.

Shakespeare lets us know right at the start of the play that these three witches are, in fact, three management consultants. The references are indisputable.

The three witches will meet again, after a forthcoming battle. They know that the battle is coming, although they themselves will not take part in it. Instead, they will meet again once it's all over.
They will meet after the battle has been lost and won. The witches have not taken sides, despite the fact that Macbeth will be their client. They have hedged their bets, so that they will be right whatever the outcome of the battle may be.
The battle will be completed - and their next meeting take place - before sunset. These consultants have no intention of working overtime.
They will meet with Macbeth They have some stunning announcements for Macbeth that will change the history of Scotland. But they talk of a meeting.
It has been maintained that Graymalkin is a grey cat and that Paddock is a toad. These are indeed meanings in use at the time of Shakespeare. But then the initial letter of each is capitalized. These are clearly proper names, and are probably the names of the three consultants' senior partners.
The three consultants are in contact with these partners through some form of wireless technology, although the senior partners themselves do not appear.
The three consultants state that there are drawbacks to any opportunity and advantages in any disaster. This is a long-established consulting ploy: to say something bad about a good situation and something good about a bad one.
The three consultants will hover through the fog. This is a reference to the consultants' ability to emerge untouched from situations marked by lack of vision. They can even avoid the accusations that follow failure: the filthy air.

The three witches meet again in Scene 3. One of them met a sailor's wife who had refused to share her chestnuts with the witch. The witch intends to sail to the sailor and torment him. This is highly reminiscent of the tendency of consultants to go over the heads of their clients' managers when they are refused work.

Macbeth and Banquo enter.

Macbeth. So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
Banquo. How far is't call'd to Forres? What are these
So withered, and so wild in their attire,
That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth,
And yet are on't? Live you? Or are you aught
That man may question? You seem to understand me,
By each at once her chappy finger laying
Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so.

This certainly seems to establish that the three witches are indeed management consultants.

The witches then make some cryptic predictions and vanish.

Act 2

Act 2 is mainly concerned with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth acting on the predictions of the three witches. Lady Macbeth murders Duncan to make Macbeth king.

Act 3

Events begin to go awry for Macbeth. To sustain the project begun by Lady Macbeth, Banquo is murdered, although his son, Fleance, escapes. Macbeth is haunted by Banquo's ghost. The corporate reshuffle is not going as intended.

Scene 5 is especially interesting. The three witches reappear, this time meeting with Hecate. Hecate is clearly a senior consultant, or even a partner in the firm. She complains.

First Witch. Why, how now, Hecate! you look angerly.
Hecate. Have I not reason, beldams as you are,
Saucy and overbold? How did you dare
To trade and traffic with Macbeth
In riddles and affairs of death;
And I, the mistress of your charms,
The close contriver of your harms,
Was never call'd to bear my part,
Or show the glory of our art?
And, which is worse, all you have done
Hath been but for a wayward son,
Spiteful and wrathful; who, as others do,
Loves for his own ends, not for you,
But make amends now: get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron
Meeting me i' the morning: thither he
Will come to know his destiny:
Your vessels and your spells provide,
Your charms and every thing beside.
I am for the air; this night I'll spend
Unto a dismal and fatal end:
Great business must be wrought ere noon;
Upon the corner of the moon
There hangs a vaporous drop profound;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground:
And that distill'd by magic sleights
Shall raise such artificial sprites
As by the strength of their illusion
Shall draw him on to his confusion:
He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear
His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear:
And you all know security
Is mortals' chiefest enemy.
Hark! I am call'd; my little spirit, see,
Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me.

After Hecate leaves, the First Witch says Come, let's make haste; she'll soon be back again. The witches then leave as well.

This gives us a fascinating insight into the workings of consulting firms.

Hecate is angry that she was not called in. The three witches acted alone in dealing with Macbeth. It is probable that the firm's fees could have been considerably increased by having Hecate present as well.
The chief beneficiary of their advice - the wayward son - is not their client, Macbeth. It appears that this wayward son is not a client of the firm. He loves for his own ends, and not for the three witches. It may be that he will appoint another firm to advise him.
The three witches are told to meet again in the morning, bringing their vessels, spells, charms and every thing beside. At the meeting, they will have their full range of methodologies, software tools and reports.
Hecate, meanwhile, will work a theory up into a full report that will persuade Macbeth. This report will have no real substance, it will confuse Macbeth, and it will cause him to act without wisdom.
The final part of Hecate's speech, when she is called by her little spirit in a foggy cloud may be confirmation that Hecate's initial inspiration for her report to Macbeth could be an article on the Internet that she will plagiarize for her own report.
After Hecate leaves, the First Witch stresses the need for haste, before Hecate returns. This is another feature of consulting: the need to complete tasks quickly, for a partner, rather than well, for the client.

Act 4

The first scene of the fourth act opens with the three witches. They appear to be casting a spell, but it is actually more likely that they are disposing of evidence. They put all kinds of rubbish in: bits of toads, snakes, newts and frogs. Then they destroy evidence of their racial opinions of Jews, Turks and Tartars. Next they destroy criminal evidence of a baby's murder. Finally, they throw in other parts of animals.

When everything has gone into the caldron, Hecate enters.

Hecate. O, well done! I commend your pains;
And every one shall share i' the gains:
And now about the caldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.

Hecate appears after the main work has been done. She hands out a compliment. She promises that everyone will share in the gains. She goes out again before the rehearsals for the presentation to the client.

Macbeth enters. After some preamble, the First Witch asks him Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths, or from our masters? Macbeth replies Call 'em, let me see 'em. So now, with the fees really clocking up, the witches bring in a series of apparitions, with the words Come, high or low; thyself and office deftly show!

The first apparition is an armed head. This points to the possibility that the witches are using teleconferencing to present their gurus to Macbeth.

Macbeth. Tell me, thou unknown power, ---
First Witch. He knows thy thought:
Hear his speech, but say thou naught.
First Apparition. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;
Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me: enough.
Macbeth. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;
Thou hast harp'd up my fear aright: but one word more, ---
First Witch. He will not be commanded: here's another,
More potent than the first.

The second apparition is a bloody child. Many consultants must have watched one of their firm's partners making an inept presentation to a client and thought to themselves What a bloody child. The apparition tells Macbeth that none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. We can see why this partner is regarded as a bloody child. It would have been possible to warn Macbeth that Macduff could kill him. It would have been possible to warn Macbeth that he could be killed by someone who had been delivered by caesarean section. Instead, the partner uses a form of words that makes Macbeth believe that he will be successful, when the partner already knows that he is doomed. But future fees must be protected.

The third apparition is a child crowned, with a tree in his hand. This is that most feared of partners, the absentee managing partner. This one prefers to be at home, gardening. Again, rather than advising Macbeth directly, this partner gives Macbeth a vague prediction. Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him. This one is even more misleading than that of the second apparition. In fact, Birnam wood itself will not come to Dunsinane, but only branches cut from it and used as camouflage by Macduff's army. It is clear that this is not what the managing partner should have said to Macbeth. He has not understood his brief for this presentation, probably because he spent his time in his garden.

The witches then show Macbeth a series of apparitions, none of whom speaks, and then they vanish, with Hecate. This stage direction may seem a little surprising. Hecate had already left before Macbeth arrived. The reason is that the firm intends to charge Macbeth for Hecate's time at the meeting, even though she was not actually there.

Act 5

The witches do not appear again. Macbeth continues towards his doom.

[ List articles on Trifles ] [ View printable version ]

First Witch.	When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning or in rain?
Second Witch.	When the hurlyburly's done, When the battle's lost and won.
Third Witch.	That will be ere the set of sun.
First witch.	Where the place?
Second Witch.	Upon the heath.
Third Witch.	There to meet with Macbeth
First Witch.	I come, Graymalkin!
Second Witch.	Paddock calls!
Third Witch.	Anon!
All.	Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.

Macbeth.	So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
Banquo.	How far is't call'd to Forres? What are these So withered, and so wild in their attire, That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth, And yet are on't? Live you? Or are you aught That man may question? You seem to understand me, By each at once her chappy finger laying Upon her skinny lips: you should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so.

Macbeth.	Tell me, thou unknown power, ---
First Witch.	He knows thy thought: Hear his speech, but say thou naught.
First Apparition.	Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me: enough.
Macbeth.	Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks; Thou hast harp'd up my fear aright: but one word more, ---
First Witch.	He will not be commanded: here's another, More potent than the first.