Essay Discuss the Supernatural in Macbeth.

The Witches go hand- in- hand as an important role in “Macbeth”. Judging from the prologue we can tell that they are up to no good. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair:" (Act 1 scene 1 line 11). You can not tell how evil the witches are until

Macbeth’s insanity is resulted from the true supernatural things he encounters in the play. The three witches are supernatural characters that play an important role in Macbeth’s spiral to becoming insane. Right off the bat the readers or audience feel the creepiness and uneasiness that radiates off of the witches. The witches famous line “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble” (cite), gives everyone a look at how dark this play is. Macbeth’s first time meeting the witches paved a way for his insanity. The three witches inform Macbeth that he will be Thane of Glamis and then one day become king. This causes Macbeth to over think things, and have contradicting thoughts on whether he believes in such prophecies, or if they are trying to trick him. Macbeth’s second visit from the witches included visions of different people. After the witches add ingredients to the cauldron, the visons start appearing. The first one was an armed head telling him to beware of Macduff. The second, was a bloody child that said he could not be hurt by anyone who was born of a woman. The third one is a child holding a tree and wearing a crown. This vision meant that Macbeth would not be defeated until Birnam Wood moved to Dunsinane. All of these visions allude to the fact that Macbeth is becoming insane. Slowly but surely as supernatural events occur he has trouble deciphering what is real and what is not. A

The idea of thunder and lightning could also add to my point of planning something evil as the dark, stormy weather could be associated with evil. The fact that the witches are making a plan could further suggest something evil is going on as witches are also considered as dark, evil characters. The three witches end the scene in a very unusual way which once again shows their unusual behavior and evil. ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air.’ The effect of ‘Fair is foul’ suggests their evil as they believe that being fair and equal is foul and is horrible. The three witches also believe that ‘foul is fair’ which once again suggests further evil as they believe foul doings is fair. I think the audience of today will still be engaged although they have different beliefs because they will have different views on the play and this could help a director of a different culture.

The first witch had previously sworn to take revenge on a sailor. The second witch then promises to help the first witch by using the wind. This scene demonstrates how weather is used to augment the witches’ powers; thus increasing the fear we have for the witches.

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there are many fascinating sections which could be focused on due to the suspense and the connection of the supernatural. 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 forthcoming conflict by inspiring Macbeth to execute Duncan so he could become king of Scotland. Through temptation, the supernatural stimulates Macbeth to contemplate arrogantly and for his own advantage. The supernatural in Macbeth presents prophecies which tempt Macbeth with the idea of power. This leads Macbeth to contradict his faithful and courageous nature by planning an assassination on King Duncan with the egotistical intention of becoming king and later annihilating other characters in the play with the determination of retaining his own powers. Macbeth was tempted by the original prophecies and showed clear motivation to act upon them.

There is a clear conflict between good and evil, and this makes the audience feel uneasy. The witches symbolise the force of evil and establish the atmosphere of

Firstly, the use of the witches in the play is a key element in the

The three witches play a very important role in affecting the actions of Macbeth with their ability to steer him in the direction they desire. They not only use their supernatural powers but also prey on his greed and ambition.

The witches in Macbeth play a critical important role as at the beginning of the play the witches describe that all that is “fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Mac 1.1.10). Meaning that every thing that is pretty is ugly and everything ugly is pretty. The witches

Shakespeare uses a large motif of light vs. darkness throughout the play to present moral choices and religious ideas. When the play opens, there is thunder rolling around and the witches on stage. The thunder is symbolic of darkness and gives the audience the first impression that the play will not be ordinary. The witches who only appear in darkness, elements of the supernatural, are one of Shakespeare's classic ways of catching the audience's attention and of also setting the mood for the play.

In lines 16-23 in scene two, it shows how violent Macbeth truly is and how brave he is. “Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements” Macbeth(1.2.22-23). This quote shows how violent Macbeth is in war as well as his passion for war.

The witches have an enormous effect on the play, not only are they evil, but this is emphasised by the strong feelings against witches and witchcraft in Elizabethan times. Convicted witches were regularly tortured and even executed. Most people believed in witches and there was little opposition against this persecution. This was not helped by the fact that the king, James 1 was also interested in this superstition, often, he

In the beginning of the play, the Three Witches appear to Macbeth and Banquo. On the night of their appearance, there is a horrible thunderstorm. The witches tell Macbeth

with the power of the audience in the play as well as the story seems

As frightful as the ghost of Hamlet's father may, the supernatural is nowhere as integral a part of the play as it is in Macbeth.  The supernatural is indeed instrumental in Macbeth's fall, mainly because it represents the dark or evil side of man.  The supernatural forces in Macbeth are just waiting to glom on to a sucker like Macbeth, whose vaulting ambition o'erleaps itself right into their hands.  While some might argue that the supernatural elements overwhelm and cause