The role of the supernatural in Macbeth

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Many plays by William Shakespeare have a reoccurring aspect of the supernatural; presenting itself never in an evil demeanor, though it does wreak havoc on the lives amongst it. It provides an insight into the character of Macbeth, showing its audience how weak-minded Macbeth really is and what influenced him to think for himself. The actions of Macbeth are greatly influenced by his belief in the supernatural and Lady Macbeth’s dominant control over him. The role of the supernatural in Macbeth appears in the form of a floating dagger, witches, and the ghost of Banquo. All of which helped Macbeth gain confidence, not only in himself but also his own decisions. The witches are perhaps the most important supernatural characters in all of Macbeth. They represent Macbeth’s evil ambitions of evil, greed, and devilish scheming. They first appear in scene one, foreshadowing Macbeth’s future superiority of Scotland and his ultimate fate, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, the future king!” (Act 1, Sc. 2, 3). A...

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