The supernatural is a recurring aspect in many of William Shakespeare's plays. In Hamlet, there appears, perhaps the most notable of the supernatural forms, the ghost. However, in Macbeth, the spirit appears, but a floating dagger, witches, and prophetic apparitions. In both Hamlet and Macbeth, the supernatural plays an intricate and vital role in the two plays. In two such plays, Hamlet and Macbeth, the supernatural is an essential part of the structure of the plot.
             The information the ghost reveals motivates Hamlet into action against a situation he is already uncomfortable with. In scene V of act I, Hamlet and the ghost appear together. The spirit confesses to Hamlet that "A serpent stung me, so the whole ear of Denmark/Is by a forged process of my death/Rankly abus'd"(I.v.36-38). The ghost's words clarify that he was not poisoned by a snake but murdered by his brother. In Hamlet, if he had not seen the spirit of his father, he would not have known that Claudius had killed his father to claim the throne. The ghost asks Hamlet to seek revenge for the King's death, and Hamlet is thus propelled to set into action a series of events that ends in Hamlet's death.
             The core of the play then unfolds from the actions and words of this ghost. In the famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy (III.i.56-89), Hamlet clarifies he is unsure of what action to take. Hamlet encounters the ghost once more in his mother's bedroom. The spirit reminds him to avenge his father's death. Hamlet's revenge against his uncle, Claudius, is undoubtedly stimulated by the ghosts' words. His father's murder is forcing Hamlet to take action. The supernatural occurs four times during Macbeth. It appears in all the witches' appearances, in the formation of Banquo's ghost, in the apparitions with their prophecies, and in the floating dagger that guides Macbeth towards his victim. In Macbeth, the supernatural plays a similar and tragic role. Like Hamlet, Macbeth is a ma...