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The role of the supernatural in Shakespeare
The role of the supernatural in Shakespeare
Shakespeare's use of the supernatural
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During the age of Shakespeare, people unanimously believed that their world was filled and surrounded by unexplainable occurrences controlled by powerful and incomprehensible beings. This mentality still resides today in the form of the “supernatural” . The supernatural is something that cannot be explained, understood or in some cases proven by natural means. Macbeth is filled with the supernatural causing the main theme of the story to become heavily influenced by strange phenomenon. The theme of destruction is caused when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints, is influenced by the witches and Macbeth's own collapsing mind as they all push him to abandon any morals he once had. Many supernatural occurrences push him to do whatever …show more content…
However some characters have powers that no one else could combat and by using these powers, shaped the story into one of death and betrayal. The witches consist of four characters. The three regular witches and Hecate the goddess of witchcraft. All of these characters have tremendous power to control magic and spirits to manipulate Macbeth. When discussing their plan, Hecate suggests they use their supernatural power. “When I work it over with magic spells, the drop will produce magical spirits that will trick Macbeth with illusions ( Act 3 Scene 5)”. Terms like Magic, spirits, and illusions, have many contribution and relation to the supernatural. By using these supernatural aspects, Hecate and the witch's attempt to use prophecies and illusions in order to feed Macbeth's want for power. The illusions that the witches conjure tell Macbeth that he could not be killed by anyone born of a women and that Macbeth's reign will not be vanquished until Birnam Wood marches to Dunsinane. These “truths” were made in order to ease Macbeth worries and push him to continue his destruction caused and have his ambition go unchecked by moral constraints. The witches are not the only high power that has an impact on the play and how Macbeth acts.The play shows that even Macbeth's mind has its own
The three witches in Macbeth have some control in the play. The three witches hold a great power, evil, and strong power and control over Macbeth. They have power that is connected and bonded by one another. They show Macbeth what his
When Macbeth becomes king he controls almost everyone, from servants to assassins. He even attempts to order the three witches to do his bidding. However, Macbeth’s actions and demeanor later in the play are the result of Lady Macbeth, who holds sway over her husband. It is she who at first coaxes and controls Macbeth, resulting in the change in his personality. The supernatural, in particular the three witches, exert control over both Macbeth and his lady. In fact, it is their influences that initiate the sequence of events, and are therefore an integral part of the play.
This implies that the witches have only limited powers and can only direct people within certain limits. If this is the case, then we must see that Macbeth's ambition and moral cowardice are responsible for his tragedy.
Powerful in nature and curious to the eye, the witches in Macbeth were hooks of fascination. One never knew what would come next when it came to the witches. They possessed a dark authority and supremacy unlike any other and the temptation to ignore them was unfeasible. They brought with them gloomy days and evil thoughts. The witches could draw you in and begin to almost play with your mind if you let them. This is what ultimately led to the down fall of Macbeth. Collectively, the witches in Macbeth acted as a catalyst for all of Macbeth’s actions.
Since it was an interesting issue which many people of Shakespeare’s time felt they were affected by, Shakespeare wrote about it. “Macbeth” with its supernatural theme was the 17th century’s equivalent to the modern day horror movie.
and be great, but they didn't tell him the price he would have to pay.
The witches can not be the most powerful characters as they did not force Macbeth into his crimes, the sisters only told him prophecies and apparitions that he did not have to believe, however did. Lady Macbeth pushed Macbeth to commit crimes by manipulating his manhood and “pushing his buttons”. Macbeth has his own free will and chose to partake in all of the crimes, meaning the witches are not the catalyst to his acts. Throughout the play, it was clear to see that Macbeth wouldn’t have committed the crimes without the influences of the three witches, Lady Macbeth and his own dark ambitions. The power was in Macbeth’s hands, however, he couldn’t stop the downward spiral he
If we are to explore the significance of these witches, we must do so by treating them as vital poetic symbols in the play, essential manifestations of the moral atmosphere of Macbeth's world. & nbsp; The most obvious interpretation of the witches is to see them as manifestations of evil in the world. They exist to tempt and torment people, to challenge their faith in themselves and their society.
From the very beginning of the play, supernatural and unnatural forces have inspired and encouraged Macbeth. They interfere with natural events and completely change the character of Macbeth and his wife. Witches, apparitions, ghosts, and other unnatural images are used to demonstrate the evil effects and consequences those forces can have. Shakespeare is successful in telling his audience that only evil will come when Macbeth or any other person tampers with natural forces for personal gain.
The witches have a strong effect on Macbeth's character; they highly influence him in his accomplishments and awake his ambitions. They give Macbeth a false sense of security with their apparitions of truth. Instead, they prove to be harmful for Macbeth, who takes too much comfort and confidence in his interpretation of the truths. They are the ones who plant the actual idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth's mind. But if it were only the witches prophecies, then Macbeth surely would not have murdered the king. '
The witches influence Macbeth in his achievements and awaken his ambitions. They give him a false 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. Macbeth wants to know more.
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner dictionary, `supernatural' refers to things that cannot be explained by natural or physical laws. The presence of supernatural forces in "Macbeth," provides for much of the play's dramatic tension and the mounting suspense. In this paper we shall look at some of supernatural elements in the play.
to almost possess you is not a normal thing to do but the words do
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.
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.