In short, the witches in Act 1.3 of Macbeth use a term sometimes used for royalty because they are, themselves, in the process of proclaiming Macbeth royalty.
- The first witch hails Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, which he already is.
- The second witch hails Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor, which he is not (as far as Macbeth knows). This is a prediction.
- The third witch hails Macbeth as king, which he is not. This is also a prediction.
But there is an additional aspect to greeting Macbeth with the word, hail. "Hail" suggests enthusiastic approval, as well as subservience. The witches are attempting to woo Macbeth into taking them seriously and acting on their predictions. They do not want to appear to be a threat to him.
Macbeth and Banquo have just left a battlefield. Some productions show Macbeth and Banquo drawing their swords or daggers when they first see the witches. The witches must present themselves as sympathetic to Macbeth, and using "hail" helps to do this.
By the way, the witches greet Banquo in the same way when they predict that his heirs will be kings, but their strategies, including using the word, "hail," do not work on him as they do on Macbeth.
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