When I was on a California trip with my brother's, we were trying to look for origins of words that we would call each other like: nerd, geek or even dork; while looking on my phone for the answers, I found the word "weird".
Now I know what you're thinking, "What does this have to do with Shakespeare?" Rest assured, there is a reason behind all this. Originally, the word was spelled "W-Y-R-D". It still sounded the same, the only difference (other than the spelling) was that it meant "fate" or "destiny" in Old English. Over time the word eventually changed to the spelling it is now, "weird".
Anyway, knowing that the word "weird" meant "fate" and that it was
talking about the "Fate Sisters" we can safely assume that Shakespeare
took this well-known mythology and incorporated it into one of his
bloodiest plays... "Macbeth"!Back then, when they were talking about "fate", they were referring to the "Fate Sisters" found in Greek Mythology. You might know them from the Disney movie "Hercules" and even both versions of "The Clash of the Titans"(Side note, the 1981 version is better).
It makes sense, because of his continues references of Greek Mythologies throughout all of Shakespeare's plays. I mean he even coined the phrase "It is all Greek to me."
Going back to the Sisters mentioned in Greek Mythology. We may not know them as the "Fate Sisters" in "Macbeth" but we do know them as the "Weird Sisters", AKA the three witches who prophesied of Macbeth's future reign as king. The "Weird Sisters" were labeled this, because of their "supernatural" ability to see the future. As we all know "supernatural" can also mean something out of the ordinary, strange and even "weird."So if you are ever called a "weirdo", just remember... you "pick" your own "destiny"! Wink wink!
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