Superstition In Macbeth

Superstition in William Shakespeare's Macbeth Throughout Elizabethan times, Witches and witchcraft were considered to be in existence. Seeing a large proportion of the female community being condemned to death, which involved either drowning, hanging or being burnt at the stake was quite plausible at this time. Such savage practices were urged on by macabre and fevered fantasy of the supernatural. In my essay I intend examining how Shakespeare deployed this obsession of superstition in Macbeth and how it is a crucial element of the play. To begin with, the tone of the paranormal theme is set right from the beginning when

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.

Macbeth, an ironic tragedy of the 17th century, is perhaps one of the most appraised works by renowned playwright William Shakespeare. Such fame, though, can be justified through the play’s effective utilization of themes and their evocative subtext; however, Shakespeare particularly focusses on the theme of power and has done so with intent. Macbeth visualises power in two forms, being that of divine and supernatural. The play forms a representation that, alike with the socio-cultural beliefs of the Elizabethan era, divine power should not be tampered with. Otherwise, the consequences can be detrimental, as demonstrated by the painful ends of characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Both individuals use the process of illegitimate power to

In this essay I am going to explore the use of the supernatural in the

“Have you ever wondered if Magic or witches and wizards really exist in this modern world? Well yes, they do exist, and they are quite active in the modern world. There are more than 10 million witches in the United States, with new practitioners on the rise daily.”(Caine) Being a witch is much different than what you may have seen in the movies. There is real magic to the craft, but witches or wizards don 't walk around turning people into to frogs with a flick of their magic wands. They don 't disappear into thin air, nor do they fly around through the night on broomsticks. They also don 't live in a big castle or mansion. They walk around as normal people and you wouldn 't be able to tell them apart for anyone else. The art of real witchcraft is one of the oldest practices in the world. “The oldest instruments of the real craft that have been discovered date back to 40,000 years ago, while the practice of real witchcraft dates back to paleolithic times. It is very much a way of life, as you may have heard from the modern followers of Wicca. During the middle ages, and in the event known as The Inquisition, the practice of witchcraft became outlawed throughout most of the Christianized world, an offense punishable by death.”(Caine) A witchcraft frenzy broke out in the early colonial history of America in Salem, Massachusetts. Insane torture tactics were put in by the church to draw out confessions. This period of time is often cited as the start of "the burning times."

In January of 1692, the witchcraft hysteria began when a group of young girls became sick after playing a fortune-telling game and began acting strangely. These girls later became known as the “afflicted girls” (David 12). The afflicted girls, Elizabeth Booth, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mercy Lewis, Betty Parris, Ann Putnam, Jr., Susannah Sheldon, Abigail Williams, Mary Walcott, and Mary Warren are very important people in the Salem Witch Trials. There are conflicting opinions on whether or not witches exist. However, when taking a more in-depth look at the trials, it is very evident that witches in 17th century Salem did not exist; children were accusing people out of boredom, parents were using this as a type of revenge, and the witch tests were unjust.

Word of mouth was their most effective way of sharing information until the printing press was created, this invention revolutionized how information could be shared throughout the world, books were able to be mass reproduced and able to reach places that word of mouth may not have able to, but as is the case with most good things, evil people can use good things for bad. Large amounts of books were published that outlined the existence of witchcraft, stating that they were demonic influences involved, and offering ways for people to deal with it, as well as many embellishments. Some such publications were the Fomicarius (NIDER), Flagellum Haereticorum Fascinariorum (JACQUIER), De Lamiss (MOLITORS), and The Hammer of the Witches (MALIFICARUM). Publications like these perpetuated the hysteria into what we know refer to the witch craze/ which trials.

One would question the credibility of the enigmatic apparitions within Macbeth's renowned Act IV, Scene i. Shakespeare gains the audience's acceptance of the three mystically summoned apparitions through methodically foreshadowing a supernatural event is about to occur. Each stance of Shakespeare's foreshadowing -- cauldron potions, Hecate, the second witch's awareness of MacBeth, and stage direction -- contributes to the believability of the apparitions' appearance in the play.

One of the main factors that influenced Macbeth’s transformation was the impact the witches and the super natural world had on him. It is an important theme as in Shakespeare’s day, the audience strongly believed in the existence of witches, the power they contained, and the substantial evil intentions they had. “I’ll drain him dry as hay, Sleep shall neither night nor day”. The weird sisters were the creatures that created the concept of a supernatural world, and their absence in

It is human nature to be intrigued by all things mystical and dangerous. We fear the unknown but seek it nonetheless out of greed. Most of Shakespeare’s works hold an element of the supernatural and the play Macbeth is no exception. In this play we see a contemporary morality that warns of the dangers of trafficking with instruments of darkness; the witches in the play prophesize of Macbeths future as king, and Macbeth blinded by his hunger for power fails to recognize that the witches prophecies are luring him to evil . In act 1 scène 3 we see the effect that the excitement of the prophecies has had on his imagination as he begins to contemplate murdering the king. As Macbeth gets closer to

Shakespeare explores the abuse of supernatural power through manipulation by witches on human nature. This considers how witches dominate through the complexity of control as an attempt to influence fate. In the Jacobean Era, King James was interested in the supernatural with the majority of people believing that witches held supernatural power and were evil representatives of the devil. Hecate informs the witches in relation to Macbeth that “he shall spurn fate, scorn death and bear his hopes ‘bove wisdom, grace and fear…security is mortal’s chiefest enemy”. Tragic foreshadowing emphasises “scorn death” presenting a dark upcoming event. This demonstrates how the witches manipulate Macbeth into thinking that he stands above wisdom, grace and fear, encouraging him to be overly confident. As a loyal friend, Banquo warns Macbeth “to win us to our harm the instruments of darkness tell us

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.

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

In the play “Macbeth”, William Shakespeare uses belief in the existence and power of witches to create and influence the audience’s understanding of the play. Our initial impression of Macbeth is one of a brave and capable warrior, however once we see his interaction with the three “evil sisters” (Shakespeare, 1996) we realises that his physical audacity is coupled by an intense amount of ambition and self doubt. It is believed that the witches are the motive behind this ambition which eventually leads to his tragedy, however strong diverging arguments are in existence. The intensity of Macbeth’s tragedy is dependent on whether or not the witches are “professed to be able to control the naïve, innocent Macbeth” or whether he is to blame

The supernatural in Macbeth is an integral part of the structure of the plot. It provides a catalyst for action, an insight to characters and enhances the impact of many key scenes. The supernatural appears in many varied forms; the ghost of Banquo, floating dagger, witches and prophetic apparitions. The witches were a symbol of evil, they were meant to give the play a haunting and an eerie atmosphere, they give the impression of supernatural because they can foretell the future and everything they say sounds like they are chanting a magic spell “Round about the cauldron go...charmed pot”– Act 4 scene 1. Another magical element is the floating dagger