Use Of Supernatural In Macbeth

Shakespeare’s Use of The Supernatural The supernatural are manifestations or events attributed to some force beyond the laws of nature. Many people do not believe in the supernatural. For the ones who do have belief, the subject of the supernatural causes great fear. The supernatural is associated with paranormal occurrences, while in religious opinions the supernatural is a miracle. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, supernatural events take place which are believed by all the characters. While the hero’s tragic flaw is often the driving force that develops the plot in many of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, it is the supernatural elements in Macbeth that play an important part in developing the plot, his ambition and his downfall. This
Without the supernatural encounters to increase his ambition therefore leading to his downfall, Macbeth would not have become one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies. At the beginning of the play (Act 1, Scene 1), the audience is introduced to the three witches. The first scene highlights their importance and foreshadows their influence in the story. The witches are very mischievous and always want to cause problems. They give Macbeth ideas which keep the play moving. An example of one of their ideas is the three prophecies, which lead Macbeth to murder Duncan and Banquo. The prophecies give Macbeth confidence and expand his ambition because he relies on the prophecies for proof of his future victory. The witches spark Macbeth’s quest for the crown, making him become very obsessive with doing whatever it takes to become king. The witches also show him three apparitions that give him messages which he gains trust and allows them to influence his decisions. The character of Macbeth changes as it is influenced by the witches. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is very loyal to his king.
His ghost appears after he is killed by the murders hired by Macbeth. The sighting of Banquo’s ghost is significant because it illustrates the consequences of Macbeth’s actions and guilt as a result of these actions. Macbeth yells, “let the earth hide thee! / Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold: thou hast no speculation in those eyes/ which dost glare with” (Act 3, Scene 4, 113-117) after Banquo’s ghost appears again. In this quote, Macbeth is speaking out loud in front of his company. They are very concerned for their king’s mental health after witnessing his reaction to the sighting of the ghost. Banquo’s ghost haunts Macbeth and makes Macbeth feel even guiltier because he recognizes that what is done is done, and he cannot reverse his actions. This supernatural encounter displays the guilt of Macbeth especially since he reacts so strongly to it in front of all his guests who he is trying to impress. Author Pauld Streufert comments, “Macbeth’s phantom visitor, Banquo, remains silent during his brief but important scenes and appears both for revenge and plot motivation. The ghost’s silence is troubling yet effective, as the guilty king struggles to elicit some response from his deceased friend” (Streufert, Paul D). Streufert confirms that although Banquo’s ghost does not say anything; his presence stuns Macbeth and prompts a feeling of quilt. Banquo’s ghost does not say anything; his presence