Macbeth - Trochaic tetrameter

Ok, so in Shakespeare's Macbeth the witches often speak in trochaic tetrameter. I have been taught the significance of blank verse and prose and the significance of its use but I have no idea of what significance can be attached to trochaic tetrameter. As the examiners apparently highly reward analytical points based on the writing style I thought it would be greatly beneficial if someone could provide me with any possible significance that I can attach to the form of the witches language.

An example quotation would be: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble

Thanks in advance if anyone can help! (This if for AQA English Literature B by the way, studying the gothic genre)

Reply 1

Smaug123

15

Original post by Markkk96

Ok, so in Shakespeare's Macbeth the witches often speak in trochaic tetrameter. I have been taught the significance of blank verse and prose and the significance of its use but I have no idea of what significance can be attached to trochaic tetrameter. As the examiners apparently highly reward analytical points based on the writing style I thought it would be greatly beneficial if someone could provide me with any possible significance that I can attach to the form of the witches language.

An example quotation would be: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble

Thanks in advance if anyone can help! (This if for AQA English Literature B by the way, studying the gothic genre)

It's quite good for rituals - it has a kind of insistent quality (note that iambic pentameter has a natural break at the end of a line, but trochaic tetrameter can keep going and going without obvious line breaks, when spoken). It's very easy to chant trochees. (Think of playground chants - "eeny meeny miny mo".) That makes this section sound more "spell-like" than "speech-like".