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Brandon Corbin Challenge III Stacey Smith 1/20/2018 Shakespeare Essay “When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurly-burly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won. That will be ere the set of sun. Where the place? Upon the heath. There to meet Macbeth.”-William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s play Macbeth opens with the three witches (or weird sisters) speaking in rhymes, riddles, and figurative language. This opening serves to present an important theme in the play: the theme of the supernatural. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, he uses the supernatural as a key element in the development of the story. This theme can be observed throughout the play in Shakespeare’s use of the three witches, Macbeth’s …show more content…
vision of the dagger, Banquo’s ghost, and the apparitions. In the opening lines of Macbeth, the reader is introduced to the three witches who appear to be uttering nonsense; however, they are actually speaking in figurative language of future events that will come to pass. This was not done by accident. Shakespeare uses this opening as an indication of what course the play will take; that is, one full of supernatural elements. The three witches reveal their supernatural abilities many times in the play by predicting the future. Corbin 2 An example of this is when Banquo and Macbeth come across the three witches, who make a prediction that Macbeth will be king.
“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!”-The Three Witches, Act I, Scene. The theme of the supernatural is continuously reiterated throughout the play by the three witches who appear multiple …show more content…
times. Another time elements of the supernatural can be observed is in act 2, scene 1, when Macbeth has a vision of a mysterious floating dagger.
“Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight? Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation…”-Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 1. This vision is what pushed Macbeth over the edge and caused him to become a victim of his own delusions. Only after seeing this “fatal vision”, did he make the choice to murder Duncan. This scene serves to reiterate how important of a role the supernatural plays in the outcome of the play. Without this supernatural vision, Macbeth might not have been able to bring himself to commit murder, thus changing the play entirely. Along with the three witches and vision of the dagger, Banquo’s ghost is another supernatural component of Macbeth. The ghost of Banquo serves to remind Macbeth of the horrible things he did to become king. Banquo’s ghost appears to Macbeth at the feast with the thanes of Scotland in Act 3, scene 4. In this scene, one of the murderers comes to Macbeth before the feast and informs him of their success in the murder of Banquo. Afterward, he
goes Corbin 3 to the feast and imagines he sees Banquo’s ghost. “Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee. Thy bones are marrowless; thy blood is cold; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes which thou dust glare with.”-Macbeth. The ghost seems to appear and reappear, sending Macbeth into fits of courage and despair. These supernatural visions caused Macbeth to become even more paranoid and began plotting his next murder; the murder of Macduff. The last incident used by Shakespeare to reveal the theme of the supernatural is the apparitions. After the visions of the ghost of Banquo, Macbeth goes to the three witches for information about his future. Upon his request, they show him three different visions; one of a disembodied head, another of a bloody child, and lastly of a child wearing a crown and carrying a tree in his hand. The first apparition tells Macbeth to “Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife!” to which information he seems pleased with; the second apparition reveals that “none of women born shall harm Macbeth”, to which he replies, “Then live Macduff, what need I fear of thee?”; the last apparition tells Macbeth to be bold because he “shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.” With these seemingly impossible things presented to him, Macbeth replies, “shall Banquo’s issue ever reign in this kingdom?” The apparition’s information caused Macbeth to become careless, thus leading to his downfall. In Macbeth, the supernatural is an integral part of the plot and the structure of the play. Each incident in the play is led by supernatural events. The supernatural elements of the play Corbin 4 are presented to the audience in many different forms: which include, the three witches, the vision of the dagger, Banquo’s ghost, and the apparitions.
“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! (Act 1.Scene 3. Lines 51-53).
In the play of “Macbeth”, Shakespeare gradually and effectively deepens our understanding of the themes and most importantly the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The main theme of Macbeth is ambition, and how it compels the main characters to pursue it. The antagonists of the play are the three witches, who symbolise the theme appearance and reality. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relation is an irony throughout the play, as most of their relation is based on greed and power. This is different from most of Shakespeare’s other plays, which are mostly based on romance and trust. There is also guilt that leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the final consequences of the play. As the progresses, the constant changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are exposed.
History has been filled with evil people doing evil things for power whether that means killing or putting other people down. The truth is everyone wants power and once that power is gained they will do whatever to maintain it. In the play Macbeth written by Shakespeare the main character receives a prophecy from witches (wierd sisters) telling him he will become king. Acting in response Macbeth kills the king and soon becomes the new king. The play follows his story as he struggles to maintain his power and battles against those threaten his rule. In Act 3 scene 1, Macbeth's’ soliloquy about Banquo, his best friend, expresses the tones of fear, jealousy, and anger through the literary devices of metaphors, repetition, and foreshadowing, which
Macbeth is the story of how an ordinary war hero becomes king and later goes chaotic with power. The story starts off in Scotland when Macbeth and Banquo meet some witches who predict their futures, telling Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor, and the king of Scotland. Ross; one of the king’s lords, delivers the news that Macbeth has become the new Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth now believes that he will become king. To achieve this, Macbeth invites King Duncan over for a dinner.
Following this murder, Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost at the banquet. He is filled with feelings of regret and, as a result of his troubled mind, sees Banquo's ghost.
“…we three meet again in thunder, lighting or in rain?….When the battle’s lost and won….That will be ere the set of sun….There to meet with Macbeth.”
One of them is the floating dagger: this was shown when Macbeth was changing his mind about killing the King: Duncan. This daggers was the supernatural way for pushing Macbeth to commit the murder. Shakespeare also uses the dagger to tell the audience that something bad as going to happen.This is shown: “Is this a dagger, which I see before me,/ The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee./ I have thee not, and yet I see thee still./ Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible/ To feeling as to sight?Or art thou but / A dagger of the mind, a false creation” (II.I.41-46). The second supernatural that influence Macbeth actions is the Ghost of Banquo: the ghost appears because of Macbeth’s guilt conscience of killing his friend. Banquo was the only person he didn't kill by himself, and the guilt of being involved in his friend's death killed him. That is why he hires assassins to kill him to get rid of Banquo that was in his way. Macbeth doesn’t want Lady Macbeth to know what was going to happen after what she did by helping him kill Duncan:"What's to be done?/ Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck."(III.ii.51-52). In Act three, Scene two, Macbeth talks about his desire to die rather than live in this endless torment of guilt and sleepless nights.This is shown: “In the affliction of these terrible dreams/ That shake us nightly. Better be with the dead,/ Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,
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...
The Importance of the Supernatural in Macbeth by William Shakespeare The supernatural is to play an essential part in the play 'Macbeth'; this is made clear from the first paragraph of the play, when the three witches are introduced. It is represented in many different forms, mainly: the witches, the dagger and the ghost of Banquo. Shakespeare's use of imagery and creative language in the play creates tension, fear and clearly displays the importance of the supernatural theme. At the start of the play, the supernatural is disguised in the form of nature, in this case a storm. Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy to describe the strong force of nature- "Thunder and lightning - Enter three Witches.
up when Macbeth says, "So foul and fair a day I have not seen," and Banquo comments,
Macbeth’s guilt shines greatly during the two main murders he is accounted for. After Duncan’s murder, Macbeth misplaces the daggers but states he cannot go back and see the scene of the crime and argues: “I’ll go no more/ I am afraid to think what I have done; / Look on’t again, I dare not” (2.2.53-56) to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth’s moral conscience takes a negative impact so hard, he cannot face the repercussions of his sin. The guilt shows that Macbeth is sympathetic and sorrowful of this deed. Macbeth’s moral conscience is also demonstrated through Banquo’s murder but increasing in personal and mental matters. Macbeth hallucinates a ghost of Banquo at a Banquet featuring his noble friends. He shouts unexpectedly, “Avaunt and quit out of my sight! Let the earth hide thee! / They bones are marrowless, they blood cold” (3.4.92-95) as if he was talking to the real Banquo. The hallucinations and the confusion is an effect of subconscious guilt. This brings new light to Macbeth, showing his good qualities have not left completely and was still able to make themselves prominent in such a harsh scenario. With this guilt, Macbeth was able to understand his past and mistakes with only adds the evidence of Macbeths righteousness. These frequent moments of regret, often in the form of asides, ultimately shows the humanity in Macbeth
Beyond doubt, three witches, as supernatural characters in “Macbeth”, embody an unreasoning, instinctive evil. They represent Macbeth‘s evil ambitions and aspirations.
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.
Shakespeare, William, and John Crowther. No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth. ed. New York: Spark Publishing, 2003. Print.
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.