Macbeth
A literary tragedy is defined as a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. From "Hamlet" to "Othello", Shakespeare created many of history's most memorable tragedies. Perhaps his finest is "Macbeth". It is the story of a man, once honored and respected as a war hero, who became so wrapped up in his own ambition that he transformed into a murderer and dictator-like ruler. Macbeth is not entirely unaided in his descent into evil. He is influenced throughout the play by the Supernatural, and these forces drive the action of the play.The first sight of Supernatural forces comes in the form of the three witches, or "weird sisters". They open the play with a short scene that reveals their devious intentions to meet with Macbeth. Though it is unclear what they have in store for him, their quote "Fair is foul, and foul is fair: hover through the fog and filthy air" hints at deception to come. The exact origin of the witches is unclear, though it is speculated they are "partly rules of nature, and belonging to the nocturnal half of this earthly creation; partly human s
His immediate concern is Banquo, because of the witches' prediction that he would get kings. He does not give into the witches immediately: "Macbeth fluctuates- entertaining them at first, then resisting, but finally yielding". (Knight SLC 3 232)After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth is crowned king. (Snider SLC 3 209) Once he and Lady Macbeth decide to murder Duncan, the Supernatural reappears, but this time not in the form of the witches. Macbeth would not have been so sure of himself had it not been for the witches' seemingly unbreakable promises. " The Supernatural forces are behind this apparition as well as the dagger. However, the force of the supernatural cannot be denied. We see the witches again in Scene Three of Act One; here, they are meeting with Macbeth as they planned in Scene One. "Thou marshall'st me the way I was going, and such an instrument I was to use". The supernatural powers may also describe the voice Macbeth hears after the murder, when he says, "Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more! Macbeth doth murder sleep!'" (Curry SLC 3 240)In a more abstract sense than the dagger or the witches, the Supernatural appears also in the weather surrounding the murder. Macbeth and Banquo come upon the witches together, "to lay stress upon the reality of the Weird Sisters, the poet has introduced two men beholding them at the same time, so that we cannot well assert the appearances to be a mere subjective delusion, as we might, if only one man saw them. By doing away with what evil the witches' created by making Macbeth king, Hecate is restoring a natural order. However, Birnham wood does come to Dunsinane when the army each runs up the hill with trees from Birnham wood.
Common topics in this essay:
Curry SLC,
Othello Shakespeare,
Macbeth Birnham,
Act Scene,
Thane Fife,
Banquo Fleance,
Macbeth Horrible,
Cawdor Banquo,
Duncan Macbeth,
Snider SLC,
slc 3,
curry slc,
3 240,
curry slc 3,
slc 3 240,
supernatural forces,
snider slc 3,
murder duncan,
vision dagger,
birnham wood,
hail macbeth,
witch hail macbeth,
thane cawdor,
witch hail,
hail thee thane,
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Acceptance Essays
