Why do the witches talk in poetry in the play 'Macbeth'?

Both Macbeth & Lady Macbeth speak in blank verse in most of the play (though there are occasions where they also in prose & rhymed verse), but the witches, you will notice not only speak in rhymed couplets, but also iambic terameter & prose too. read more

The witches in Macbeth are unlike any of the other characters. They are"the weird sisters" - they have beards, and conjure up bizarre potions. Also, unlike the other characters, they are the only ones that use rhymed speech in the play. read more

For example, the witches speak in rhymed couplets of iambic tetrameter, the Porter speaks in prose, as does Lady Macbeth at times, and the bulk of the play is in iambic pentameter (this I get - it is the shifts that I'm not sure about). read more

Well, all of the characters technically speak in poetry in Macbeth, but the Witches’ (also called the Weird Sisters) form of poetry is distinctly different. See, for the most part, Shakespeare wrote in verse. read more