The play Macbeth is a dramatic tale that includes many different themes. The themes in this play include love, supernatural, and tragedy. The supernatural elements are in particular, a major aspect of this play. Three main elements of the supernatural in this play are witches, apparitions, and hallucinations. The projected outcomes given through visions in this play did not always match up with the actual events that occurred. Although the main characters use these visions to try and achieve their goals, it often did not occur the way that they wanted. One of the first supernatural occurrences in Macbeth involved witches giving a prophecy to Macbeth and Banquo. The witches tell Macbeth, “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (Shakespeare, 30). After this prophecy, the witches give another prophecy to Banquo: “FIRST WITCH. Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. SECOND WITCH. Not so happy, yet so much happier. THIRD WITCH. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” (Shakespeare, 31). These prophecies signify that while Macbeth will become king, only Banquo’s heirs will obtain the crown. Macbeth does eventually enter the kingdom, but he and Lady Macbeth must kill the current king in order for this prophecy to come true. For fear of Banquo overtaking Macbeth’s kingdom, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth attempted to end Banquo and his son’s life. They succeed in killing Banquo, but not his son. Banquo’s son escaping allows for the second prophecy to be true, no matter how hard Macbeth tried to tamper with it. There are three apparitions that the witches give to Macbeth about his future. “First apparition: an armed head…. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff, beware the Thane of Fife” (Shakespeare, 145). The witc... ... middle of paper ... ...h first started on this journey, she thought she was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get her way. In the end however, she could not handle the stress and brutality. The themes of love, supernatural, and tragedy in Macbeth make this tale loved by many. The supernatural ideas are most noteworthy and dramatic. Witches, apparitions, and hallucinations give the play the sense of the unknown. Shakespeare used the supernatural occurrences and witches to show humans wickedness and depravity. The characters in this play were not at all hesitant to do evil acts once prophecies had been given showing their innermost desires come true. In the end, while the prophecies may have come to fruition, it was not how the characters had anticipated. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. World Library Inc., 1990. Web. 14 Feb. 2014
Both Banquo and Macbeth are introduced as loyal captains in the king`s army, but as the play progresses, Macbeth is overcome with the desire of power due to his reception of the prophecies. Upon hearing, Banquo does not become greedy for power, but, alternatively, he is suspect and cautious begins wondering if “we [Macbeth and Banquo] eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner?” (1.3). Realizing the witches were simply trying to make him ambitious, Banquo remains loyal to his king and his country, despite knowing that he will have a dynasty to rule Scotland. Despite having the motivation, Banquo does not commit treason against his king but rather wants to “keep my [his] bosom franchis'd and allegiance clear” (2.1), meaning that he has no desire to betray the king for personal gain. Conversely, upon hearing the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth becomes ambitious for power and follows them blindly. He is curious about the witches’ prophecies and demands they “stay… [and] tell me [him] more” (1.3). When he hears that the prophecy that his heirs will rule Scotland he will be king, Macbeth`s ambition is born and his thoughts instantly turn to murder, even though the witches had not mentioned murdering King Duncan which shows that Macbeth has previously thought about murdering his king. As a result, Macbeth has no loyalty to neither his king nor his country and commits treason. While both Banquo and Macbeth hear the witches` prophecies that promised power, only Macbeth conceded to their prophecy and became overcame with ambition. Macbeth is a direct antithesis to the honorable, dependent Banquo. He transforms into a greedy man who is obsessed with his
Without a general supernatural stigma from the witches, the story would not be as interesting as it is and wouldn’t lay a clear foundation. The reader can enhance their experience by making predictions about the prophecies, thus grabbing the readers attention to continue to read. The role of supernatural is to also create suspense. Suspense of the prophecies gives the reader a sense of what’s to come next. In contrast this will make the reader have motivation to continue as it is a difficult text to understand. The following quote creates suspense as it shows the reader Macbeth is at decline point while constantly relying on the prophecies to save him The mind I sway by and the heart I bear. Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.
However, he doesn't know what to think when the second and third witches say he will be Thane of Cawdor and soon after, king. Both the Thane of Cawdor and the king are still alive. At this point, Macbeth isn't sure if he can actually trust the witches because he doesn't know what they have said. The witches then continued with their prophecies. They tell Banquo that, "thou shalt get kings, though thou be none" (I.iii.67).
William Shakespeare, in my opinion starts the play off with supernatural beliefs. The first of characters to speak are the three witches. I feel that the witches are a supernatural element that Shakespeare used. The introduction of the witches depicts the plan they had to meet Macbeth. I would describe the witches as a set of mysterious characters that plot mischief against Macbeth using things such as the apparitions. There predictions are what I think caused Macbeth to par...
supernatural entities and how they can affect a person; all of which affect Macbeth in
In Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses an underlying motif of the supernatural to control the characters and add a new dimension to the play.
The story Macbeth written by, William Shakespeare, is an odd text. It defies the laws of nature. Strange supernatural events occur throughout the play. The presence of the supernatural symbolizes bad or evil things. It also foreshadows when something evil or bad are going to happen. Shakespeare plays a game comparing the natural to the supernatural.
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the supernatural and the role they play in motivating characters is apparent throughout the duration of the play. The supernatural is what causes conflict in the play and the prophecies from the witches in act one scene three is the inciting action in the piece. The supernatural causes the future conflict by motivating Macbeth to kill Duncan so he could become king of Scotland. Through temptation, the supernatural motivates characters to think arrogantly and for their own benefit. The supernatural in Macbeth presents prophecies which tempt Macbeth and Banquo with the idea of power. This leads Macbeth to contradict his loyal and courageous personality by planning a treacherous murder on Duncan with the arrogant intention of becoming king and later killing other characters in the play with the only purpose of keeping his own powers. Both Macbeth and Banquo were also tempted by the original prophecies and showed clear motivation to act upon them. However, there is a clear contrast between the immediacy in which the two characters began taking actions and the logic put into their decisions.
The witches influence Macbeth in his achievements and awake his ambitions. They give him a wrong sense of security with their apportions of truths. The witches are the ones who made the idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth’s mind. They also told him that he would become thane of Cawdor and later would become king of Scotland and Macbeth wants to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more. By Sinel’s death I know I am the thane of Glamis; but how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman; and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor” (Shakespeare 312). Banquo is known as the real victim of the witches. After Banquo hears the prophecy of the witches that his sons will become kings he still does not believe them. He believes that he has eaten a root that is making him hallucinate and does not believe anything they tell him. (Shakespeare 313) Banquo says, “Are you sure we are talking about what we have seen here? Or have we eaten some plant root that makes us hallucinate.” Banquo also says to Macbeth: “but ‘tis strange; and oftentimes of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles. To betrays in deepest consequence” (Shakespeare 314). Shortly after they meet with the three witches they meet a messenger who tells Macbeth he is the Thane of Cawdor. When Banquo hears this he realizes the witches are right and
The witches give Macbeth two prophecies: Macbeth shall be first Thane of Cawdor and then King. In the mean time, Banquo was given the prophecy that his children shall be future kings. Macbeth and Banquo's relationship starts out strong at first, but their friendship fails as power comes into effect. In Act one, Macbeth and Banquo converse over the prophecies the three Weird Sisters have granted them. Macbeth tells Banquo, "Your children shall be kings (1: 3: 89)....
Thesis: Shakespeare used the same definition of tragedy when he wrote Macbeth, and when he wrote Hamlet; Shakespearean tragedies use supernatural incidents to intrigue the reader's interest, and his plays consist of a hero that has a tragic flaw (sometimes the want for the supernatural) which causes him to make a fatal mistake.I. Introduction II. Spirits III. Comparison IV. Conclusion Shakespeare always used the same elements of tragedy when he wrote his tragedies. These tragedies can be compared easily, especially Macbet and Hamlet. Shakespearean tragedies use supernatural incidents to intrigue the reader's interest, and they consist of a hero that has a tragic flaw (sometimes the desire for the supernatural) which causes him to make a fatal mistake. Shakespeare followed this pattern in all of his tragedies; therefore the similarities between Macbeth and Hamlet can easily be defined and discussed.Shakespeare immediately started Macbeth with a supernatural scene. The three witches set the somber and evil tone of the plot. In Hamlet, Shakespeare also presented a supernatural occurrence close to the opening. The ghost of Hamlet's father presented itself to Hamlet with a chilling story. In both situations, the tragic hero was not sure whether the spirits were good or evil. The presentation of the supernatural began to lead to the final downfall of each of the characters. In Macbeth, the three witches caused him to think and do evil deeds. If he had never met the witches, he would not have been tempted to murder the king; therefore, he would not have placed himself in the position that he felt he needed to kill everyone who crossed his path. If he hadn't been so treacherous, Macduff would not have called for war, and he would not have murdered him. In Hamlet, if he had not seen the ghost of his father, he would not have known that the reigning king had committed murder to gain the throne.
In the English Renaissance, there was a strong belief in the existence of the supernatural. Thus, the supernatural is a recurring aspect in William Shakespeare 's Macbeth and is an integral and important part of the plot. The role of the supernatural in Macbeth is to bring out emotional reactions within Macbeth that cloud his judgement, affecting his actions which ultimately leads to his downfall. This is demonstrated through the ambiguous prophecies of the witches, the supernatural phenomenon that Macbeth sees, and the apparitions that foreshadow how he will meet his end.
To conclude Shakespeare used the supernatural, to show how easily someone’s fatal flaw can be exploited to bring them to an end. This is extremely relevant to his audience at that time as well, no one knows, but Shakespeare could have been a non believer in the supernatural and wanted to show it as a figment of the mind, that can only result in insanity or he could have believed the popular opinion that the supernatural did exist and caused terror and evil throughout that period. Either way he wrote Macbeth in such a way to leave questions about the supernatural in peoples mind.
... play completely. The weather, nature, and the animals are used to set the mood and theme of the play. As for imagination, his conscience, and religion, it helps the reader’ and viewers’ understanding of Macbeth and the choice of actions he chooses in the play. Finally, the arrival of Banquo’s ghost, Hecate, and the witches are the major factors in the play that bring justice to Macbeth. Shakespeare uses the supernatural to provoke the evil in Macbeth while suggesting an alternative way of thinking to the audience. In conclusion, one can agree that, “The supernatural is the natural not yet understood.” (Hubbard, Elbert – [3])
The supernatural was a popular element in many of the plays written in Shakespeare's time (including Hamlet) and everyone of Shakespeare's time found the supernatural fascinating. Even King James I took a special interest in the supernatural and wrote a book, Daemonologie, on witchcraft. It must be remembered that, in Shakespeare's day, supernatural referred to things that were "above Nature"; things which existed, but not part of the normal human life and unexplainable. The play Macbeth involves many supernatural actions that act as a catalyst for suspense and thrill, insight into character, foreshadowing of future events as well as making connections with the theme. In the opening scene of the play, the entrance of the three witches depicts the first presence of supernatural in Macbeth.