Discuss the presentation of the supernatural in 'Macbeth'. What part does it play in the drama?

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Hannah Parkinson 10A

Macbeth coursework essay

Discuss the presentation of the supernatural in ‘Macbeth’. What part does it play in the drama?

 

‘Macbeth’ is a play full of darkness and horror, to which the supernatural plays an important and necessary role. ‘Macbeth’ was written at the time that King James the first of Scotland was on the throne. Some people believe that the play was written for him, this is due to his extreme fascination with witchcraft. This is not the only thing that links King James to the play; he was also a real-life descendant of Banquo, Macbeth’s best friend in the play. The people of England throughout King James’ reign were Christian, both Catholic and Protestant. The Jacobeans believed in Heaven and Hell and lived in fear of eternal damnation, a severe consequence of witchcraft. Practising witchcraft was seen as being sinful and ungodly and not a positive and normal way of society. The Jacobean audience would have been somewhat intrigued and interested in a play with such characteristics like ‘Macbeth’. They would have also been curious of Shakespeare’s exploration of the supernatural, especially the aspect of Witchcraft.

The play opens with three Witches, this sets the entire theme for the play as being dark and evil due to the language used and also the setting. This scene also mentions the aspect of good and evil, “Fair is foul and foul is fair.” This quote is reflected in Macbeth’s first words, “So fair and foul a day I have not seen.” This shows how things have been confused and their words have been well disguised, partly by the use of ambiguity. The Witches words have been echoed through Macbeth. The theme of good, evil, dark and light is carried throughout the play and is one of the main focus points. From the very first scene of the play onwards you realise just how much influence and impact the Witches have on characters, especially Macbeth.

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The Witches are portrayed as dark and evil, “How now you secret, black, and midnight hags.” By calling them “hags” it is confirming that they practise the black art and that they are also quite old. The Witches are also described as having beards by Banquo, “ your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so.” Women with beards is obviously unnatural, therefore is a suggestion of the supernatural. Prophecy has a strong connection with the Witches. They are the ones who foresee into the future and predict Macbeth to be king; “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be ...

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The essay is well written and fluent. The candidate uses a good range of vocabulary throughout and generally spelling and the use of grammar is not an issue.

The candidate has clearly done independent research, as they mention how people at the time would be intrigued by the idea of witchcraft and how they would find the witches and the supernatural fascinating, this is good, exactly what I would expect of a high level GCSE candidate. The candidate has carefully selected suitable quotations and used them to back up their ideas and s/he shows a good level of analysis. S/he talk about the meaning behind the quotations and how they represent the characters thoughts and feeling rather then just retelling the story, which is excellent. Although linguistic techniques such as the use of similes and metaphors are not discussed, the candidate does mention the use of pathetic fallacy, which shows a higher level of analysis and understanding.

The candidate responds well to the set question, the essay has a good introduction and a clear conclusion, although the last sentences of the conclusion which talk about different productions of ‘Macbeth’ doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the essay, I would either put this in the bulk of the essay or remove it as it doesn’t add anything.