'What is the role of the supernatural in the play Macbeth?'

‘What is the role of the supernatural in the play Macbeth?’

‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ such a well-known line from the play Macbeth, with such power behind the words. I have reason to believe that the role of the supernatural plays a very important part in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, we can say that the supernatural occurs 4 times throughout the play that we can call supernatural because they are physically unnatural things to be seen, e.g. the appearance of Banquo’s ghost, the prophecies and the air-drawn dagger etc. But I have gone further into depth to find that the supernatural isn’t just physically noticeable but also mentally through hallucination etc. I have many reasons to believe this because the supernatural is involved throughout the play and also progresses. The supernatural raises all sorts of questions concerning reality and appearance, it is seen physically through the witches but also unrealistically through the power of the mind. With this kept in mind, this causes an argument to say that some of the hallucinations and power that is not seen physically as supernatural, but from my point of view I feel that this is not the case. From the very start of the play does the supernatural begin, and this is seen in the form of the witches. This is the most important and known form of the supernatural to be seen in the play Macbeth.

This first scene shows the first glimpse of the witches and this appeals to the audience straight away. By having the witches speak in rhyme it seemed more real for the audience as they believe that when the witches made potions and spells, they spoke in rhyme. The rhyme also made them seem more evil and the audience disliked them more. Special effects such as thunder and lightening made it look like the witches had a strong, dominant presence while also looking and sounding evil. This is because of the history of the witches at the time that Shakespeare had written the play. At the time that the play was written, there was a strong belief in the existence of witches, anyone that was seen to do things differently or better than anyone else they were accused of being a witch, and it was very offensive to be accused of being one. This therefore is the reason why the supernatural is a recurring theme in many of his plays. That is why the supernatural is seen in many varied forms such as the floating dagger, the witches and many more. With Macbeth’s entrance in the play, he has a reaction to the witches the same that anyone in the audience would have had too. He is shocked to see them, but also wants to listen to the words that the witches speak because they talk about what Macbeth has always desired. This reaction too would have been what the audience would have had, and this draws them into the play further, as if they can feel what Macbeth too is feeling. I feel that with the power of the audience in the play as well as the story seems almost supernatural in a way because of the power that it holds. I feel that Shakespeare would have wanted this effect because of the great impact that the audience get from watching the play.

From the first glimpse of the witches and the audiences’ reaction towards them, you were able to see and feel the power the witches had over everyone, in the play and also with the audience. From the very start of the play you can feel the power that the witches have over Macbeth, from their lines ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ when Macbeth replies with similar words. Although it is a small line, and not very noticeable, it is the start of the power that we can see the witches have over Macbeth, and we can see how ...

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In the scene Act 1 Scene 3, the witches speak to Macbeth with their three hails, but only on the third hail; ‘All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter,’ does it trigger Macbeth. Although Macbeth has wondered what it would be like to be King, he didn’t want anyone to know of his thoughts. When the witches say this Macbeth wonders if the witches have read his mind, and from then on we can see, from what they have told Macbeth, the power that the witches have over him. Their power is almost threatening Macbeth, and because of this he wants to find out more, he desires what the witches have told him to come true for the future. He is frustrated with such an urge, under the witches’ power to follow them to find out what they mean. I think Shakespeare did this to make it seem that the witches were very powerful, that they were in control with everything.

Although at the time that Shakespeare wrote the play, there were those who feared the witches, but yet there were also those who praised and worshipped them, those who wanted to also be part of them, and believed every word that they said. There was a person in the play that was close to Macbeth that believed in the witches, this character was Lady Macbeth. In Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth enters reading a letter from her husband, telling her about the incident that occurred with the witches, that he was soon, after the witches had vanished, been announced ‘Thane of Cawdor’ just as the witches had told him so, and that they had also predicted that he shall soon after be king. After reading the letter, Lady Macbeth has a suspicion, same as Macbeth, that their predictions are coming true. With the fact that the first prediction came true, they think that there is no doubt that their second prediction for becoming king will come true too. Lady Macbeth wants this to happen, and wants to make sure that this does happen. She speaks to herself ‘unsex me here’ telling the evil spirits to make her unfeminine so that she can commit the murder, she is praying to the devil; calling evil spirits to take away her good do that she can commit the murder. Being Macbeth’s wife, she has the power to persuade him to commit the murder of Duncan so that he can become king. I think this is also a different form of the supernatural, showing good verses evil. I think that Shakespeare did this to show the clear contrast between what is good or natural and what is evil or unnatural, which is often represented as the supernatural. Macbeth is now tempted by what the witches have said, and what his wife is persuading him to do. But also Macbeth’s ambitions play an important part in this, after all he is a free agent and so he can also make the decisions, even if he is encouraged to do the wrong thing. The witches almost represent Macbeth’s evil ambitions, almost as if they too are unreal, just a trick of the mind.

The witches have also taken power over lady Macbeth that makes it seem they have almost taken over Lady Macbeth’s mind, the power of the witches is persuading and tempting Macbeth to commit the murder through Lady Macbeth. With all the confusion and pressure that is put onto Macbeth, he is unsure about the decision he shall make. When Macbeth sees the air-drawn dagger, this leads him to kill his victim. When the dagger appears to him, Macbeth finally becomes a victim to the delusions of his fevered brain. The dagger points to Duncan’s room and appears to be covered in blood. The dagger buttresses the impact of this key scene in which Macbeth slays Duncan. Macbeth cannot tell if it is imaginary or real, these visions are symbols of evil in the world and the evil growing in Macbeth’s heart. In analysis for this particular known form of the supernatural, I feel that the dagger is Macbeth’s state of mind, the confusion of choosing the right answer builds up into hallucination showing that Macbeth is slightly mad, not knowing what to do. Some might argue to say that this is not a hallucination, but a form of the supernatural, but this could be either, and I think Shakespeare wanted to have this effect. But although the witches and Lady Macbeth persuaded him to do this crime, he is a free agent, in the end he has to make up his own decision and he had chosen the wrong one. When he had also committed the crime of his best friend Banquo, his mind was totally mixed up; he was scared and unable to trust him, afraid that the truth of the murder of the King would come out. So he killed Banquo, and was very guilty after both the crimes. The natural order of sleeping and eating are vital in a persons well being, which is part of the natural order of things. Macbeth from then on couldn’t do these things showing that the natural order of his life was all mixed up. Macbeth chooses to repress his own nature, and with this he then soon after sees the ghost of Banquo. This shows the level that Macbeth’s state of mind has recessed to. He is scared when he sees him and upsets the guests, he is scared that if everyone can see it that they will know he has committed the crime. ‘Thou canst not say I did it; never shock thy gory locks me’.

After the crime and the banquet Macbeth is not scared anymore, he is determined to find out what the future holds for him, and he sets out to find their cave. He wants to find out the answers to his questions regardless of whether the consequences are violent and destructive to nature. The witches promise to answer and at Macbeth’s choice they add further unnatural ingredients to the cauldron to call up their masters, where the prophecies appear. These apparitions are what Macbeth is telling himself, his own thoughts. The first apparition is an armed head, which he does not know yet, but is his own head soon to be cut off by Macduff. This first apparition tells Macbeth, ‘…beware Macduff; beware the Thane of Fife…’ this is confirming Macbeth’s fears of Macduff. The second apparition is of a bloody child telling Macbeth; ‘…for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth…’ this knowledge gives Macbeth a false sense of security because he believes that he cannot be harmed, yet Macduff was not of woman born, his mother was dead when he was born. And the third and final apparition is of a crowned child holding a tree. It tells Macbeth; ‘…Macbeth shall never vanquished be, until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him.’ This represents Malcolm, Duncan’s son. This also gives Macbeth a false sense of security because of the prophesy of the Birnam wood. This suggests that the witches are wrong and always will be and this pleases the audience. After he has heard these apparitions, Macbeth feels powerful and confident and wants to kill Macduff, so that he can then on be king. These prophecies are another form of the supernatural, partly because the witches were part of it as they made the potion, but it is also a form of Macbeth’s state of mind again, the evil part of him escaping. I think Shakespeare used the prophecies in the play to appeal to the audiences’ curiosity of the mysterious and this therefore strengthens their interest in the play.

I conclude by saying that the role of the supernatural is very important, because whatever happens with the supernatural, it effects the rest of the play, for example if there was no air-drawn dagger, Macbeth would have probably not have gone through with the murder of Duncan. The supernatural isn’t just physical or seen mysterious happenings but also mentally, that is why many would argue with the fact that the air-drawn dagger could be either supernatural or a trick of the mind. With the history of the witches at the time that the play was written, it added an even greater effect to the play, and had an even bigger impact with the audience. The supernatural is the evil in the world through different forms, in Macbeth’s case, through his own mind. Because witches were hated so much at the time the play was written, Shakespeare composed the play; it was a perfect opportunity to use witches, so that the audience would be more interested and entertained in the play. The witches were the most well known form of supernatural occurring in the play because of their history. The supernatural is the plot of the play, without it, it would be dull and boring. I feel that the supernatural was a very entertaining part of the play and that as it increased I also became more entertained, the role of the supernatural is the role of the evil in our lives. The Evil in our thoughts, the unnatural beings that occur rather than the natural and good things that occurs in out life.

Louise Farrugia