The first scene is very short, but full of impact. The thunder and lightning alone gives it a dramatic opening, which captures the audience's interest, as it represents evil. These dramatic sound effects help create the eerie and supernatural atmosphere that Shakespeare wanted to create with the witches. Instead of seeing Macbeth, Shakespeare's audience is confronted with three strange-looking women. The witches introduce us to a dark and dangerous room, in which the theme of evil is central. Witches don't talk much but we learn a lot about them. The mood of the play is set here, even if the action doesn't begin until the next scene. The presence of supernatural forces in the opening of "Macbeth" provides much of the play's dramatic tension and mounting suspense. “When are the three of us going to see each other again?” Under thunder, lightning or rain? This is the opening line. It immediately attracts the audience and captivates their imagination, as the supernatural world fascinated the people of Elizabethan England. At the time the play was first performed and at the time Shakespeare wrote it, witchcraft was a great enemy, people were captivated by these strange and suspicious witches. Witch hunts took place and many people were convicted of being witches and executed. The witches fit the stereotypical perception of witches of that era, including the use of familiars like Graymalkin and Paddock. The use of the paranormal occurs early on, with three witches explaining that they will meet Macbeth. “When the battle is lost and won.” The audience has not yet discovered what the battle is about, but they know that the battle is won by one side and lost by the other. Macbeth's fate is that he will win the battle, but he will lose the battle for his soul. We've arrived at the end of the witches' meeting, just as they're planning their next meeting before their familiar spirits call to them in the fog and dirty air. From the beginning we can tell that witches can predict the future and create unpleasant magic, which will involve Macbeth. This creates suspense for the audience, who wonder what will happen next. The fact that the witches want to meet Macbeth should arouse some suspicion in the audience. The witches first mention Macbeth in line eight, when they explain that they will meet Macbeth on the moor..