Shakespeare's Use of the Supernatural in Macbeth Essay example

The Tragedy of Macbeth is based upon witchcraft and evil. "Double, double, toil and trouble;/Fire burn and cauldron bubble." (Act 4 scene 1 line 10-11), "How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!" (Act 4 scene 1 line 48), Lady Macbeth "Come, you spirits/That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here,/And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood,/Stop up the access and passage to remorse,/That no compunctious visitings of nature/Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between/ Th’ effect!" (Act 1 scene 5 line 39-46), or Macbeth "Let not light see my black and deep desires;/The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be/Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see." (Act 1 scene 4 line 51-53). Shakespeare makes it clear that certain circumstances such as Duncan’s horses eating each other "Tis said they ate each other." (Act 2 scene 4 line 19) and the owl killing the falcon "A falcon,...Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d" (Act 2 scene 4 line 13-14).

William Shakespeare wrote the play Macbeth in approximately 1606. The play is a tragedy and this can be often identified before we have even read the play. The title “Macbeth” alone suggests the genre of the play is a tragedy as it is the name of a character. Life in Shakespeare’s time was very religious and the play was written in order to please King James I who was on the throne at this point. The idea of the theme of religion and witchcraft fitting into the play was also to please King James I as he was interested in witchcraft. The majority of people living in Shakespeare’s time were Christians and they believed that if you lived a good life, you would go to Heaven and if you were bad in life, you would go to Hell. At the time of the

When Shakespeare wrote his play, Macbeth in 1606 a large majority of people were interested in witchcraft. This is why Shakespeare made the witches and the witches’ prophecies play a major part in the storyline of the play. In the time of Macbeth witches were not thought to be supernatural beings themselves, but supposedly gained their powers by selling their souls to Satan. There can be little doubt that most of Shakespeare’s audience would have believed in witches, and for the purpose of the play, at least, Shakespeare also accepted their reality.

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.

In the 1680’s and 1690’s there was mass hysteria in New England over supposed witchcraft. The most famous outbreak was in Salem, Massachusetts, hence the name Salem Witch Trials. In Salem, there were young girls who started acting strangely, and they leveled accusations of witchcraft against some of the West Indian servants who were immersed in voodoo tradition. Most of the accusations were against women, and soon the accusations started to shift to the substantial and prominent women. Neighbors accused other neighbors, husbands accused their wives, etc. and it kept going on for a while. There was this nature of evil and the trials didn’t end until nineteen Salem residents were put to death in 1692, more importantly before the girls

Other accusations, included trying to melt a wax effigy of James, and perverse rituals in Berwick. It's not exactly understood what the Berwick rituals had to do with killing the King, but it did direct things to Witchcraft. While it is thought that over one hundred of the witches were put on trial, and it is said that most were executed. Unfortunately, there is no accurate statistic for this.

Shakespeare, did not write this play to depict psychological disorders but wrote it for King James, the Monarch, after Queen Elizabeth had died. Before this play was written there was an incident call the “Gunpowder Plot” which was a plot to kill King James since he ruled harshly over Catholics and was not Queen Elizabeth's son but her sister’s, Mary (Stokes). Although the conspiracy was uncovered and they were caught, Shakespeare based Macbeth off of it to show what would have happened if King James died (Stokes). Therefore, this portrays a terrible cruel world England would’ve experienced if King James had died since he was the closest heir to the throne. This is also supported by the fact that the witches are like Francis Tresham, the man who betrayed the people in the gunpowder plot (Stokes). The witches and Francis Tresham support why this play is not about psychological disorders because for a point, both were “supporting” the traitors. In reality, they were playing games with Macbeth and the people in the gunpowder plot. They did this, by acting and saying things that the Macbeth and the people involved in the plot wanted to hear. These actions, made it seem as if they were on their side, when in reality they were betraying them. For example, the witches show they are not on Macbeth's side when they brew a potion to keep him from sleeping, and creating prophecies that were easily undone for they knew of the truth but he did not. While Francis Tresham, told his Lord

King James I created an uproar in early Scotland with his publication of the Demonology paired with his involvement within the Berwick witch trials. Written in 1597 and containing primarily delineations of the witchcraft trials King James’ Demonology also gave many other sources. The involvement in the Berwick trials by King James I which hundreds of individuals were arrested with claims of witchcraft made King James one of the most instrumental forces in the later witch hunts of Scotland.

In the late Middle Ages, there were few witch trials performed, despite belief in magic - and subsequently witchcraft - was prevailing. Trials were, however, undertaken in the case where ‘harmful magic’ was apparent[19]. In the late sixteenth century, attitudes began to change, and witchcraft was seen as deriving power from the Devil, causing witchcraft to be seen as a form of heresy. In 1563, Parliament passed the Witchcraft Act which dictated that the practice of witchcraft, as well consulting with witches were capital crimes[20].

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is driven to believe he will be king according to the witchcraft of the evil witch sisters. The supernatural ability of the performed witchcraft has driven Macbeth to become o so arrogant. Macbeth is so interested in becoming king, he doesn’t notice the conning abilities performed by the witches.

William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, originally performed in the early 1600’s, definitely deserves it’s recognition as a tragedy. With three brutal murders, witches, and craziness what more could Shakespeare have added to make this play such a hit. Not only were all the common people in love with another one of Shakespeare’s plays, but Shakespeare wrote Macbeth to impress one certain person, King James. King James of England and Scotland was an avid witch hunter and the author of a book entitled Daemonologie. Taking this information into account it can be seen how Shakespeare relates Macbeth to King James.

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there are different themes that occur in the play. Two important themes that take place in Macbeth are the supernatural and prophecy. The supernatural and the prophecy are essential to Macbeth because it carries the atmosphere of how the play is presented through the book. In essence by using the supernatural and prophecy in the play, we see how it affects Macbeth and the decisions he elects that is his freewill.

‘Macbeth’ is a play by William Shakespeare that shows a protagonist going from bad to worse throughout the play. Shakespeare wrote this play, taking in mind current affairs at the time of 1603-1606. This is the time when a Scottish king, James I was given the English crown. This king was obsessed with witches, so Shakespeare brought this theme strongly into the play. It also brings the theme of treachery towards the King. This pleased King James and also pleased him about showing the line of Stuart Kings, James descendants, in Act 4, Scene 1.

Lady Macbeth is the most interesting and complex character in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. She is, in fact, the point on which the action pivots: without her there is no play.

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