The Destruction Of The Supernatural In Shakespeare's Macbeth

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During the age of Shakespeare, people unanimously believed that their world was filled and surrounded by unexplainable occurrences controlled by powerful and incomprehensible beings. This mentality still resides today in the form of the “supernatural” . The supernatural is something that cannot be explained, understood or in some cases proven by natural means. Macbeth is filled with the supernatural causing the main theme of the story to become heavily influenced by strange phenomenon. The theme of destruction is caused when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints, is influenced by the witches and Macbeth's own collapsing mind as they all push him to abandon any morals he once had. Many supernatural occurrences push him to do whatever …show more content…

However some characters have powers that no one else could combat and by using these powers, shaped the story into one of death and betrayal. The witches consist of four characters. The three regular witches and Hecate the goddess of witchcraft. All of these characters have tremendous power to control magic and spirits to manipulate Macbeth. When discussing their plan, Hecate suggests they use their supernatural power. “When I work it over with magic spells, the drop will produce magical spirits that will trick Macbeth with illusions ( Act 3 Scene 5)”. Terms like Magic, spirits, and illusions, have many contribution and relation to the supernatural. By using these supernatural aspects, Hecate and the witch's attempt to use prophecies and illusions in order to feed Macbeth's want for power. The illusions that the witches conjure tell Macbeth that he could not be killed by anyone born of a women and that Macbeth's reign will not be vanquished until Birnam Wood marches to Dunsinane. These “truths” were made in order to ease Macbeth worries and push him to continue his destruction caused and have his ambition go unchecked by moral constraints. The witches are not the only high power that has an impact on the play and how Macbeth acts.The play shows that even Macbeth's mind has its own

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