The extent to which the supernatural contributes to Macbeth’s tragedy

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Chris Hide        28/04/07                    Page

Macbeth Assignment

In this assignment I will be discussing the extent to which the supernatural contributes to Macbeth’s tragedy. William Shakespeare wrote the play ‘Macbeth’ in around 1605. Shakespeare wrote the play because King Christian IV of Denmark who arrived on a brief visit to his sister Queen Anne. The play is based around tragedies and has a lot of aspects associated with this within it.

Tragedy means ‘1. A play with unhappy events or a sad ending.2. a very sad event (from Greek tragos = goat, and oide = song)’ (Oxford School Dictionary 1994)

There is a very distinctive obsession with the supernatural throughout this play. I feel, if the play was to be written again, in this day and age, by a modern day author, that there would be quite a severe noticeable decrease in the supernatural content. In those days people believed in things like witchcraft and were curious to whether people with un-explainable powers existed. Recently, we have the power, technology and equipment to prove that such things are not possible, as far as we know. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1533 – 1603) the public were increasingly pre-occupied with witchcraft. This shows that citizens at this time had a very serious belief/curiosity in the existence of the supernatural. Plays/films of the present day still include some supernatural content but the audience present will know that it is fictional.

The witches are set aside from all the other characters in the whole play, by means that they speak in rhythm and rhyme to create impact and ambiguity in the audience. Shakespeare deliberately does this.

Shakespeare is also trying to convince the audience present at the performances that the supernatural force used is not to be messed with and extremely powerful.

Although it is set in Scotland in 1040, Macbeth deals with issues, which are relevant to any society in any day and age. It explores the far-reaching effects of one man’s ambition, from the total transformation of that man’s character and personality to the nation-wide terror to which he provokes.

Macbeth starts the play as the co-leader of the Scottish army and citizens consider him, as a national hero. His reputation is then increased by further victories, but a prophecy, made to him by three witches, saying that he is to become King, changes the way he thinks about his life. He alters both his and his fellow Scots lives, as he embarks on a course of evil.

The way the transformation was accomplished would have fascinated Shakespeare’s audience, who were intrigued by, and fearful of, the role of the supernatural. Today’s audience takes less literally the witches, the apparitions and ghosts yet they would still appreciate the notion of the supernatural and the driving force of greed and ambition.

The play is about a man, named Macbeth, who encounters three witches. These witches inform him that he is to become Thane of Cawdor and then King. He doesn’t know whether to believe the women or not. They tell Macbeth’s co-leader of the Scottish army, Banquo, that he will not become King but he will become the ancestor of Kings.

It is when messengers arrive with the good news that Macbeth has been made the Thane of Cawdor that he considers that there might be a possibility of him becoming King. He wonders if King Duncan will choose him or if he will choose his son, Malcolm to become King.

Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, receives a letter from her husband informing her of the words spoken by the three witches, the prophecy made to him by them, and the news of his new title. Lady Macbeth is determined to assist him in achieving his new position at the throne. She eventually persuades Macbeth to do the horrid deed of killing the King. After Macbeth is named King he remembers the witches prophecy to Banquo. Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance.

Fleance escapes, and Banquo’s ghost returns to haunt Macbeth. He returns to the witches for some consultation and they tell him that he should beware of Macduff. They also tell him that he cannot be harmed by any man born of women.

        Macbeth, according to the witches, cannot be defeated until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinaine. Macduff goes to see Malcolm in England. Whilst he is away Macbeth orders the death of his family. Meanwhile his wife has gone mad and died. Macbeth is staying in his castle at Dunsinaine whilst Malcolm’s army uses branches from Birnam wood as disguise and approaches the castle. Macbeth is then killed by Macduff (who wasn’t born, he was ‘from his mother’s womb untimely ripp’d’) Malcolm is then made the King of Scotland

        At the beginning of the play there is already a piece of evidence that would suggest that dark supernatural forces would be involved. The three witches are all sisters and start the play by preparing a surprise for Macbeth; this surprise eventually leads his curiosity to cost him his reputation, soul and life. The witches are only making predictions, yet Macbeth seems to still put his faith and trust into three strange women he has never seen before. Macbeth begins to start doing evil deeds to try and prove that the witches are correct in their predictions and achieve his titles. The witches’ promise him to be King in the near future and are the first to unleash Macbeth’s “black and deep desires”. Macbeth is fooled by the old women and they lure him into believing that it is his fate and destiny to become King. To prove this they promise him the title as “Thane of Cawdor” and this promise is fulfilled. Both Macbeth, and the audience would begin to consider the truth in the witches’ power. Macbeth’s curiosity leads him to deciding that he should become King. His dreams of this occurring and his thriving ambition begin to take over the good parts of his personality and character. The supernatural dark forces win him over to going against his own people. They put into Macbeth’s mind, the thought of murdering Duncan; they also turn him against his loyal friend and make him decide to kill both him and his son. There are forces at work of a supernatural type trying to deceive Macbeth through the entire play.

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        In Act 1, Sc. 3 the witches discuss their spiteful treatment of a sea-captain ad are distinctive as soon as they start talking and the audience know that they are of an importance because they are on their own in the scene. The witches are somehow awaiting the arrival of Macbeth before he actually comes. From the opening scene Shakespeare creates ambiguity and an air of mystery with the witches by using rhythm rhyme to set them aside from the other character. In the first scene the audience are given evidence that the witches do have hidden supernatural powers, this ...

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