What does Macbeth mean when he says "night's black agents to their prey

Question:i was thinking he meant the three witches, but i'm not too sure. i need this for my drama homework.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: i was thinking he meant the three witches, but i'm not too sure. i need this for my drama homework.

Literally, he's talking about creatures such as animals. The whole quote is:

"Light thickens; and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood:
Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;
While night's black agents to their preys do rouse."

The "good things of the day" are diurnal animals (animals that are awake during the day and sleep at night). While the "agents" of night are nocturnal animals that, as night falls, begin to awaken and stalk their prey. An example would be an owl, since owls hunt at night.

Of course, he is not just talking about animals. There are other things that come out at night to kill as MacBeth and his lady know very well.

Maybe he's talking about nightmares. Look at the context of the passage to see what he's talking about.