Into the air; and what seem’d corporal, / Melted as breath into the wind.
Act I, Scene 3 · Macbeth
Context
Macbeth describes how the witches vanished into the air, emphasizing their sudden transformation from solid bodies to nothingness.
Analysis
The simile "as breath into the wind" chooses the most ephemeral, invisible substance possible—breath is already nearly nothing, and releasing it into wind makes it vanish completely. The verb "melted" suggests a gradual dissolving rather than an abrupt disappearance, which contradicts Banquo's "bubble" image and reveals Macbeth is lingering over the memory, replaying it in slow motion. While Banquo rushes to dismiss the encounter, Macbeth's language savors and poeticizes it.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that the contrasting imagery the two men use—Banquo's dismissive "bubbles" versus Macbeth's lyrical "breath into the wind"—reveals that Macbeth is already romanticizing the witches, which makes him far more vulnerable to believing their prophecies carry weight.