What Role Does The Supernatural Play In Macbeth

In the play Macbeth, the supernatural plays a major role in affecting Macbeth’s choices. The play features many moments in which the supernatural is especially prevalent. Throughout the play, the supernatural is seen motivating Macbeth’s actions in three ways, by using witches, ghosts, and visions.

The three witches otherwise referred to as the “weird sisters” play the biggest role in motivating Macbeth’s actions. In the first act, Macbeth and Banquo first encounter the witches. The witches began to prophesize about the future. They tell Macbeth he will be a king in the future, but he will become the Thane of Cawdor first. Banquo gets a different prophecy. He is told that he will never get the opportunity to become king however, his descendants will be kings. At this point, Banquo doesn’t believe the witches calling them “evil creatures,” but Macbeth, on the other hand, is intrigued by the prophecy. Macbeth says "Into the air, and what seemed corporal melted as breath into the wind. Would they had stay'd," after the witches vanish into thin air. This leads to Macbeth murdering King Duncan and becoming power hungry.

At this point in the play, Macbeth has asked the murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance. However, unlike Banquo, Fleance survives. Macbeth says “the worm that’s fled, hath nature that in time will venom breed,” because he knows that his throne would’ve been secure if Fleance had died. When Macbeth walk back to his seat at the banquet, Banquo’s ghost is in his chair. Terrified, Macbeth speaks to Banquo's’ ghost which no one else can see. He tells his guests “I have a strange infirmity which is nothing to those that know me.” The supernatural is clearly messing with his head. This eventually causes Lady Macbeth to send all of the guests