Supernatural in Macbeth

             William Shakespeare's Macbeth, is often considered one of his most mature, tragic plays. Those who lived in the Renaissance era (1500 – 1660) were known to believe in the supernatural. Shakespeare creates another dimension for the audience to analyze through the involvement of the supernatural. The use of the supernatural in the witches, visions, spirits and apparitions, is an important aspect to the plot. Each is used in different ways but in the end all are connected to the death of the King, the fall of Macbeth and the death of his wife. With careful analysis it is clear that the use of the supernatural is a major factor on the plays plot and style.
             Immediately at the beginning of the play the supernatural occurs through the three witches. As they are predicting Macbeth's fate and telling of strange prophecies to himself and Banquo the audience is given clues to the future of the men.
             All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis.
             All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor.
             All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter. (1.3. 47-49)
             In telling Macbeth of his fortune to come they begin his greed, which accumulates as the play continues. Macbeth realizes that the only way to have the throne is to gain power. This means killing off the King. The witches are reintroduced in the middle of the play when Macbeth returns to speak with them again. By this time he is beginning to rely on their prophecies. With this meeting the witches reveal four apparitions, again the supernatural comes into play. Each apparition foreshadows an event to come in the future. Although these seem to bring good news to Macbeth, for example the second apparition as he says: "Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of women born Shall harm Macbeth"(4.1.78-80), we realize at his death that the witches were creating a false sense of confidence in Macbeth. It is also at this time that the ...

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Supernatural in Macbeth. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 07:43, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/12611.html