The Supernatural in William Shakespeare's Macbeth
analytical Essay
672 words
The supernatural plays a huge role in the play of Macbeth. There are many different types of supernatural occurrences that take place in this play such as with witches, apparitions, and hallucinations. The supernatural affect all of the characters in the play in different ways, their different personalities often lead to different outcomes then were possibly intended. The witches in Macbeth play a huge role in the story but many people argue about what that role is. Some say that the witches planted the desire to be king into Macbeth's head, while others say that he already had the desire and the witches were just confirming what he already wanted to do. The witches may have set off the murderous desires in Macbeth or they may have just given him confirmation to set in motion an idea that he already had. Depending on how spiritual the reader is and if they believe in the supernatural they could say that the witches are just telling Macbeth what any man would want to hear, that he will be king, or they could be looking into his heart and seeing his desires and telling him what he wants to hear, or they could just purely be seeing the future and telling him what will be. But that is not the witches only role in the play, aside from telling Macbeth his future they also help him out later in the play by showing him apparitions and giving him more insight into his future and what to beware of. The apparitions in Macbeth could either be just figments of Macbeth's imagination or they could really be apparitions conjured up by the witches. The first apparitions is a floating "armed head" which the witches caution can read his thoughts. The head then speaks to him and says "Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware t... ... middle of paper ... ...ecret to the maid but their is no other witness so the maid is too afraid to tell anyone what the queen has said. The supernatural has a very strong pull on the plot of the story of Macbeth, they direct the whole direction of the story. The witches may or may not have planted the idea of becoming kings into Macbeth's head and start the chain of events that lead to Duncan's murder. The apparitions lead Macbeth into a false sense of security so that he is not properly cautious when Macduff's army march on his fortress. The hallucinations may not have the intended effect though because Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's secrets were covered up even when they confessed them. This play could not have existed without the effect of the supernatural. Works Cited Shakespeare, William, and John Crowther. "Act 4." Macbeth. New York, NY: Spark Pub., 2003. N. pag. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how macbeth's apparitions could be figments of his imagination or conjured up by the witches.
- Describes shakespeare, william, and john crowther's "act 4." macbeth. new york, ny: spark pub., 2003.
- Explains that the supernatural plays a huge role in the play of macbeth.
- Analyzes how macbeth's hallucinations are brought upon by a guilty conscience, as all the people who have had them have taken part in some dastardly dead to make them guilty.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the supernatural fuels macbeth's unchecked ambition throughout the play. his conversation with the three witches and banquo in act 1, scene 3 began his journey into insanity.
- Analyzes how macbeth hunts out the witches to confront them about their apparitions, and this only further leads to his demise.
- Opines that if macbeth had taken more time to question their validity then a great deal of misfortune could have been avoided.
- Analyzes how lady macbeth's words about having illusions while asleep are disturbing to say the least, and could resemble her wanting to remove her guilt.
- Analyzes how illusions came into play earlier than lady macbeth's descent into insanity.
- Opines that the presence of the supernatural in macbeth led to all the deaths that occurred in the play.
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- Opines that william shakespeare starts the play off with supernatural beliefs. the introduction of the witches depicts the plan they had to meet macbeth.
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- Analyzes how george cattermole's rendition of the meeting of macbeth and the witches in act 4 scene 1 shows the sinister atmosphere that the weird sisters provide by summoning the eight kings.
- Analyzes how the witches control macbeth by using their knowledge of the past, present and future to formulate prophecies and summon other supernatural entities to further their revelations.
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- Analyzes how macbeth is the only person who can see the ghost at the banquet, because he was the one who killed him.
- Analyzes how macbeth is suspicious of macduff absent from the banquet and plans to visit the witches again and hints at a bloody deed.
- Analyzes how the witches raise three apparitions in the fourth hallucination in act 4, scene 1. they tell macbeth that he will never be defeated until the trees of binam woods move toward his castle.
- Explains that each of the witches' apparitions holds a clue to the rest of macbeth's life in the future.
- Analyzes how lady macbeth is persuading her husband to kill all these people some deserved it and some didn't.
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- Analyzes how macbeth becomes insane with a dagger in his sight and talks about it as if he were drugged. the witches have special powers, or can be known as magic.
- Analyzes how macbeth's greed, hubris, and arrogant powers are the coal of his train. he thinks no one can kill him because all men are born from a woman.
- Analyzes how the final prophecies from the witches change macbeth for his own good and turn him into a monster.
- Analyzes how macbeth's rage to kill can only be brought back to the first person that ever put the thought in his head, the witches.
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- Explains that shakespeare: macbeth remains relevant as it deals with themes that span time and the fact that it can be presented in different ways to meet the interest of any audience.
- Analyzes how ambition can be a positive motivating force, but it also has negative effects in the play. lady macbeth's motivation to kill the king encourages him to overcome his guilt and act on the predictions of the witches.
- Analyzes how shakespeare describes the terrible consequences of macbeth's hunger for power. he kills his king and friends in order to be ruler.
- Analyzes how shakespeare explains the supernatural as witches, magic, unnatural and evil. banquo's ghost represents the down fall of macbeth.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that macbeth is a dramatic tale that includes many different themes, such as love, supernatural, and tragedy. the supernatural elements in the play are witches, apparitions and hallucinations.
- Explains that one of the first supernatural occurrences in macbeth involved witches giving a prophecy to macbeth and banquo.
- Explains that macbeth and lady macbeth must kill the current king in order for the prophecy to come true. they succeeded in killing banquo, but not his son.
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- Analyzes how the witches give macduff another apparition, telling him that no child born from a woman can harm him. macbeth was confident that he would be safe, but his mother died while still in the womb.
- Analyzes how macbeth believed that this prophecy would never be fulfilled during his life time. he saw no physical way for all the tress of the forest to be moved.
- Analyzes lady macbeth's hallucinations towards the end of the play. she talks from her subconscious about the people she and her husband had killed that were unnecessary to get what they desired.
- Analyzes how shakespeare used supernatural occurrences and witches to show humans wickedness and depravity. the characters were not hesitant to do evil acts once prophecies had been given.
713 wordsRead More - The Supernatural in Shakespeare's Macbethanalytical essayThe Supernatural in Macbeth 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how banquo suggests that macbeth has played foully to achieve his kingship. the witches also predicted baquo's future.
- Analyzes how shakespeare shows macbeth's fear and guilt after committing the murder of a king and having his closest companion murdered.
- Analyzes how shakespeare uses the supernatural apparition to show the audience that evil is present.
- Analyzes how shakespeare expresses his view that the supernatural is evil and can trick even the strongest of people. the apparitions contradict themselves by saying, "beware of macduff" and "none of women born shall harm macbeth."
- Analyzes how shakespeare interpreted the supernatural as witches, magic, unnatural and evil in "macbeth". the supernatural theme was the 17th century's equivalent to the modern day horror movie.
- Analyzes how shakespeare uses the supernatural to guide the audience to show what evil is. macbeth is now the king of scotland since both of duncan's sons fled the country in fear of their lives.
- Analyzes how lady macbeth's remorse and confusion show how even the most desperate people regret relying on the supernatural.
1823 wordsRead More - The Responsibility Of The Supernatural In Shakespeare's Macbethanalytical essayThroughout the play, one can argue that Macbeth was coerced or that is was his will. Yet, the evidence supports that Macbeth was indeed controlled by the supernatural. Therefore, the witches are the ones responsible for Macbeth’s rise to glory and his tragedy.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how macbeth is worried about banquo's prophecy, so he interferes with the witches' predictions. fleance is a dilemma for him because if.
- Analyzes how new revelations contribute to the idea that macbeth was being controlled and it wasn't his free will of fulfilling a prophesy and trying to prevent the rest.
- Analyzes how macbeth fears that witches' prophecies will come true, but he is convinced to enter the battlefield.
- Concludes that the witches are the ones to blame for macbeth's downfall because they controlled his fate.
- Analyzes how the witches are responsible for macbeth's rise to glory and his tragedy.
1175 wordsRead More