The Supernatural in Macbeth
In Macbeth, there are many sections that refer to the involvement of the supernatural. The use of the supernatural in the script, the witches, the visions, the ghost of Banquo, and the apparitions, are key elements making the concept of the play work and in making the play interesting. Witches, spirits, ghosts and apparitions are a major factor in developing the play.
The use of the supernatural occurs at the beginning of the play, with three witches predicting the fate of Macbeth. This gives the audience a clue to what the future holds for Macbeth. "When the battle's lost and won" (1.1.4), is said by the second witch, stating that the battle is lost by one side, and won by another. Macbeth's fate is that he will win the battle, but will lose his soul. After the witches reveal the destiny of Macbeth, the plan to gain the power of the throne is brought up. The only way to gain the power of the throne is for Macbeth to work his way to the throne, or to murder King Duncan. Murdering the king is an easier plan.
Lady Macbeth also relies on the supernatural in her soliloquy, where she calls upon the spirits to give her the power to plot the murder of Duncan without any remorse or conscience. "Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty" (1.5.47-50). Lady Macbeth convinces her husband, Macbeth, to murder King Duncan. On the night they plan to kill Duncan, Macbeth is waiting for Lady Macbeth to ring the bell, signaling him to go to Duncan's chamber. On his way, he sees the vision of the dagger. The significance of the dagger is that it leads Macbeth towards the chamber by the ...
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...y, and consequentially, would lose most, if not all, of its significance it holds.
Techers Comments: Your paper contains some plot summary. Avoid re-telling the story. Instead, tell us how the supernatural forces develop that plot. How do Lady Macbeth's spirits lead to Duncan's death? Tell us more about how Banquo's ghost deepens suspicions about Macbeth's deed, etc.
Works Cited and Consulted:
Best, Michael. Macbeth’s Life and Times. CD ROM. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation, 1994. Version 3.0.
Cooper, T. The Mysterie of Witchcraft. London: Nicholas Okes, 1617.
Cotton, N. "Witches: Impotence and Magic in Macbeth." Shakespeare Quarterly. 38, 1987: 320-326.
Shakespeare, W. Macbeth. Ed. W. Wright. New York: Pocket Books, 1997.
Truax, E. "Macbeth and Hercules: The Hero Bewitched." Comparative Drama 23. 1990:359-76.
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Topic: How important are the witches to Macbeth? Discuss the effects of the witches on character, plot, themes and audience.
Everyone has a slightly different interpretation of the supernatural but the interpretation which we can start with is Shakespeare’s. Everyone of Shakespeare’s time found the supernatural fascinating. Shakespeare interpreted the supernatural as witches, magic, unnatural and evil and he expressed his beliefs in the play, “Macbeth” very clearly, as he portrayed the three deformed women with control over the weather and the ability to predict the future. These three evil witches with magical powers were the creation of Shakespeare’s interpretation of the supernatural. Shakespeare’s contemporaries believed in the supernatural very strongly and a majority of them were frightened of it, including the king of that time, King James I of England.
A play on words is what kills Macbeth, because in a fight in the end of the play, Macduff says he was cut from his mother's womb, not born. Without the witches, ghost, apparitions, it would've been useless because even readers today need motivation to read. The supernatural is our motivation to keep reading Macbeth.
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the supernatural and the role they play in motivating characters is apparent throughout the duration of the play. The supernatural is what causes conflict in the play and the prophecies from the witches in act one scene three is the inciting action in the piece. The supernatural causes the future conflict by motivating Macbeth to kill Duncan so he could become king of Scotland. Through temptation, the supernatural motivates characters to think arrogantly and for their own benefit. The supernatural in Macbeth presents prophecies which tempt Macbeth and Banquo with the idea of power. This leads Macbeth to contradict his loyal and courageous personality by planning a treacherous murder on Duncan with the arrogant intention of becoming king and later killing other characters in the play with the only purpose of keeping his own powers. Both Macbeth and Banquo were also tempted by the original prophecies and showed clear motivation to act upon them. However, there is a clear contrast between the immediacy in which the two characters began taking actions and the logic put into their decisions.
In the English Renaissance, there was a strong belief in the existence of the supernatural. Thus, the supernatural is a recurring aspect in William Shakespeare 's Macbeth and is an integral and important part of the plot. The role of the supernatural in Macbeth is to bring out emotional reactions within Macbeth that cloud his judgement, affecting his actions which ultimately leads to his downfall. This is demonstrated through the ambiguous prophecies of the witches, the supernatural phenomenon that Macbeth sees, and the apparitions that foreshadow how he will meet his end.