Hecate In Macbeth

The Invincible Queen of the Dead

“I am the mistress of your charms (Shakespeare, Macbeth). This is a quote from Hecate in the play Macbeth. In the play, Act 3, Scene 5, Hecate is meeting with three other witches; when she says, “I am the mistress of your charms,” she is speaking to her fellow witches whom she is not pleased with (Shakespeare, Macbeth). Hecate was once worshipped by both the Greeks and the Romans. She was worshipped on the nights where no moon was visible. These people worshipped her for purification of their household, and to do justice for the family members that might have done a bad deed that has offended Hecate. Hecate was a well-known goddess that was the goddess of witchcraft, had a small family tree, had many sacred items and animals, and is still remembered today.

Hecate, a witch and lover of the moon, represents many superstitious phenomena. She is best known as the goddess of witchcraft, but also symbolizes many other things. Originally, Hecate was named the goddess of the earth. Zeus gave her this title because she sided with him during the war against

283). Hecate was the daughter of Erebus and Nyx. Zeus, the god of all gods, feared Nyx because she was a dreadful and powerful goddess. Nyx is the goddess of the night. Erebus is the god of darkness and shadows. One of Hecate’s siblings, Nemesis, is the goddess of divine retribution who punishes excessive pride, undeserved happiness, and the absence of moderation. She also is the goddess of justice, retribution, revenge, and unfairness. Another sibling is the god of sleep and rest- Hypnos. Hypnos had a twin brother, Thanatos, the god of a peaceful and quiet death. Hecate’s nieces were the Hesperides, which is the collective name for the nymphs. The nymphs tend to a very dreamy garden in a in the western corner of the Earth. Hecate had a small family tree with very powerful family