During Shakespeare's time, witches were considered real by most people and they were frightened of them. Women were sometimes burned to death because they were thought to be witches and people had 'witch hunts' to find them (generally the women they burnt weren't actually witches, but angry groups of people often do stupid things). The public believed these evil women able to do magic and cast spells and make curses and many other superstitions like flying on broomsticks and black cats. Witches were very scary in a genuine way to Shakespeare's audience.
Today, Witches appear silly or harmless to us, but then, to start a play with three evil witches bent over their magic cauldron, plotting to decide who will be king. This was very dramatic, contemporary and exciting. In others words, a brilliant 'curtain raiser'.
(The equivalent today would be to start a film in a terrorist hide- out and we, the audience, listen as three dangerous terrorists discuss their plot to blow up the president.)
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