All we can tell of the human realm from the witches' first meeting is that a battle is going on. The witches agree to meet when the "hurly-burly's done/when the battle is lost and won." They say that they will meet with Macbeth, and we can tell as they chant "what's foul is fair" that they do not mean well. In the second scene, we learn that the battle in question is the result of a rebellion against King Duncan by traitorous nobles named Macdonwald and the Thane of Cawdor as well as an invasion by the King of Norway. Macbeth emerges as the King's preeminent defender, killing Macdonwald and leading his forces to victory. After the battle, the witches reveal to Macbeth that he will become King of Scotland, setting in motion a tragic train of events that result in the deaths of almost all of the play's major characters.
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