The Occult in Macbeth Pre-Reading Essay

Macbeth Pre-Reading In-Class Essay: The Occult

Ghosts, witches, and gods are three of the most common creatures that are thought of when

someone mentions the word 'supernatural.' The belief that there is such a thing as 'supernatural

phenomena' has been debated all throughout history. In fact, most of history is rooted in the belief that

supernatural phenomena exist. From the time of the cavemen to the current day, there has always

been the thought that such things exist. Though, in modern society, these supernatural beings

exist mainly in movies and shows. Now, most people know that the supernatural belongs solely in these

movies and shows. They know that the supernatural does not exist.

In the past, many occurrences were considered to be done by otherworldly forces; such as gods or

mysterious spirits. These things were eventually discovered to be very simple natural phenomena, not

otherworldly in the slightest. A few examples of these so called 'supernatural occurrences' are events

such as thunder, eclipses, and droughts. The sound of thunder was often thought to be the sound of the

gods in the sky fighting over various things. Eclipses were considered to be acts of the gods done to

frighten the mortals down on earth, to make them worship, and droughts were considered punishments

for the ones who did not believe. In reality, however, these things were simply natural, and easy to

explain using science.

Even with this knowledge, society still enjoys watching films and shows that involve

these forces. The reason for that is simply the thought of not knowing. When watching a show or a film, one

can believe for a time, no matter how short, that some mysterious things do exist, and that thought is

the one that keeps them watching. Not knowing is tempting, it allows the brain to try to draw its' own

conclusions, to believe in something they can not understand.

As evidence