Assess the Supernatural in Macbeth Essay

Shakespeare wrote his plays during the Elizabethan time, a time of change and discovery, which was called the Renaissance. Changes in religion, politics, science, language, and the arts made the population excited and think about and believe in things differently. One subject many people had different beliefs about was the belief of the supernatural. Many women were accused of witchcraft; they would be burnt at the stake or thrown into a river to drown. Shakespeare uses witches in Macbeth to scare the audience. This is shown in the first scene, Act 1 Scene 1. In the first scene, without anyone saying a word, Shakespeare manages to scare the audience. He does this by having thunder and lightning coming from behind the stage. Not only does this scare the audience, which they wanted to happen, they came to get scared, but it sets the mood. The come across as grey, gloomy and dark which again frightens the audience. When the first witch speaks she asks the others: When shall we three meet again, In thunder, lightning or in rain? This tells us two things: 1. They have met before and 2. They seem to be able to control the weather. Controlling the weather is important because this means whenever there is thunder lightning or rain the witches will most likely be there. This also means that they can set the mood for the audience. The withes then go on to predict the future saying: Where the Place? Upon the heath. There to meet with Macbeth. This shows us that the witches know that Macbeth will win because he must be alive to meet with them, plus they know where and when the battle finishes. In the last line all of the witches say: Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. All this means is that the witches plan to create chaos amongst Macbeth, to make him confused weary and doubtful. The next time the witches appear is in Act 1 Scene 3. In this scene the second witch has been travelling â€Å"killing swine† as she puts it and she describes her travels as: A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap †¦ †¦Look what I have. This tells us that the witches hold grudges against other people causing their evil to become worse if you do not do as they say. It also re-inforces the mood from scene 1, the fact that they can change the weather and that they have supernatural powers. Whilst the witch is describing what she has been doing, there is constant thunder and lightning happening around them which also re-inforces the mood again from scene 1. Later on in the scene Macbeth meets up with witches along with Banquo. The witches tell him: 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. Macbeth seems stunned to this while Banquo asks him: Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear Things that do sound so fair? For a while Macbeth says nothing, looking stunned shocked and confused at what the witches have just told him. Banquo asks whether they are real or not but gets a reply like Macbeths. He is told that he’ll be lesser than Macbeth but greater, not so happy but much happier and that he will have kings in his family. Banquo says nothing to this as if he didn’t hear it, and just continues speaking to Macbeth. Macbeth questions what the witches have just told him, he is confused at what they have told him because the Thane of Cawdor and the King are both still alive. He tries to work it out but then gets demanding saying: Speak, I charge you. To this the witches vanish leaving a shocked and confused Macbeth and Banquo, still looking like he’s heard nothing. So now Macbeth is feeling anxious and worried of what they have told him and this is all to emphasise the fear that has been incorporated with the witches since the beginning of the play. He has all these feelings building up inside of him until he gets told that the Thane of Cawdor betrayed his armies and joined the Norwegians, to which he gets executed and passes the thane to Macbeth. All of his feelings are now turning into excitement because what he was told by the witches is becoming true. He starts thinking to himself: Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor: The worst is behind. That the worst is behind him and he might as well continue now he’s got so far. He starts to think about killing the king despite Banquo telling him: That, trusted home, Might yet enkindle you unto the crown†¦ †¦In deepest consequence. He images killing the king and what it would get him, but it’s only an idea at the moment, and it starts to disturb his body so much that trying to imagine it makes him unable to move, making nothing seem real except the fantasy of being king. It kind of scares him making his hair stand on end and heart pump against his ribs uncontrollably: This supernatural soliciting†¦ †¦Is smothered in surprise, and nothing is, But what is not. This is the effect the witches have on Macbeth during Act 1 Scene 3. The witches don’t appear for quite a while in the play but there are many other supernatural occurrences between now and then. The next one is in Act 2 Scene 1, where Macbeth sees a dagger. Probably the most famous lines in the book are in this scene when Macbeth sees a dagger on the way to kill Duncan. At first he thinks its part of his imagination: A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from my heat-oppressed brain? His brain seeing things because of all of what he’s been through, but then he tries to grab the dagger, talking to himself he thinks its real but his hand goes right through it. He says to himself: 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? He starts to mock the Image in front of him saying it was trying to guide him the way he was already going although he probably wouldn’t have don it without the dagger appearing. He then sees blood on the handle of the dagger and he questions where it came from, he reckons it’s the violence of the act making him see physical shapes in this way. Macbeth thinks that his mind is playing tricks on him making him doubtful and starts to feel guilty of what he’s done to himself just to get where he is now. The dagger vanishes at the sound of a knell, which Macbeth says will summon the king, Duncan, to heaven or to hell. After Macbeth kills Duncun, Banquo gets killed in Act 3 scene 3 and the next scene has the next supernatural happening. Banquo’s ghost appears at Macbeths Banquet Macbeth prepares a banquet for him becoming king inviting all of the Thanes, Lords and some attendants. He starts by saying how disappointed he is at Banquo’s absence from the feast and asks where he’ll sit, only to find Banquo’s ghost has taken his place: To grace us with you royal company? The tables full. Here is a place reserved, Sir. Where? Here, my good lord He says that one of the lords have played a practical joke on him. When the lords rise to leave Lady Macbeth stands and say that he is usually like this and that he’ll be well enough soon, but if they stare at him then they will only prolong the fit he’s having. She asks him whether he’s a coward or not to what Macbeth replies: Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that Which might appal the devil He is saying that what he is looking at even the devil could not bear to see therefore making him a man. Lady Macbeth seems to thinks his actions are rubbish, saying its his fear that is causing him to imagine this and that he needs to come to and be brave. When she says this the ghost disappears leaving Macbeth to stand there distraught at what he just saw. He tries to convince Lady Macbeth that there was a ghost but all she says is that his friends are growing tired of him. When Macbeth is apologising to his Lords the ghost re-enters, Macbeth asks for a drink of wine to toast to Banquo but when he turns around the ghost is there in front of him. He shouts: Avaunt! And quit my sight! Let the earth hid thee!†¦ †¦Which thou dost glare with. In this quote he is saying that there is no life in the ghost’s eyes and he wants it to be gone. Lady Macbeth says to the Lords that it is nothing out of the ordinary, and that they shouldn’t worry, it is only spoiling the feast. Macbeth then approaches the ghost saying why did you take the form of Banquo, anything but Banquo and I would’ve been fine. But if I still live in fear and trembling then you can call a feeble creature: What man dare, I dare: †¦ †¦Unreal mockery. What he means by this is that the ghost could’ve taken form apart from Banquo’s and he wouldn’t have been scared. After this the ghost disappears and Macbeth sits down saying that he is a man again now the ghost has gone. The Lords ask him what he saw but Lady Macbeth stops them saying: Question enrages him. At once, good night. They wish their majesty good health and then depart leaving Macbeth to brood upon the uncanny ways in which murders are often revealed. He also wonders why Macduff did not appear at the feast.