The forces of evil and the supernatural are dominant in the play Macbeth

The forces of evil and the supernatural are dominant in the play Macbeth

Without a doubt, There are many forces of evil and the supernatural to be seen in the tragic play Macbeth. It is obvious that these forces are dominant in the play as they play a vital role in the plot and they appear continuously throughout the play, but they do not dominate the play, as good wins out over evil in the end. These forces can be seen as characters, as apparitions, as actions and also in the language of the play. The most powerful and manipulative force of evil comes from the supernatural characters of the “weird sisters” or the three witches. Immediately in the opening scene we are introduced to them. It is clear that they will play a major role in the play. They speak in riddles “fair is foul and foul is fair…” and they cast an ominous tone over the entire play. The dramatic opening with thunder and lightning emphasises their evil nature. The witches are the embodiment of pure motiveless evil. They are immediately associated with the worst evil of all, the devil, by Banquo, “what! Can the devil speak true?” The witches are vital to the play because they are the ones who stoked the fires of Macbeth’s ambition, without them there would be no play, as Macbeth would never have committed regicide without their influence. Macbeth is immediately associated with the witches in his first line, which echoes the witches line, “so foul and fair a day I have not seen.” The witches’ power is strong, they can control the weather at will and it has even been suggested that they can fly, “hover through the fog and filthy air“, but they are very spiteful and malevolent beings. After one of the witches was insulted by a woman, she cursed the woman’s husband “he shall live a man forbid.” The high witch, Hecate, is a terrible force of evil. This is emphasised by her many references to hell, “at the pit of