Explore how and why the supernatural is important for our understanding of Macbeth as a whole.

by siennahmorganstcatherinesnswed (student)

The supernatural is described as a force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. Today people use psychics to understand the supernatural, follow horoscopes and manifest to get what they want.

In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the supernatural is an integral component of the play. It acts as a narrator to assist in understanding the events of the play. Without the supernatural the Macbeth would not have been urged to kill the King setting off a chain of events. Throughout the play, the characters are strongly influenced by the theme of the supernatural, in which the witches are vital. Through the prophecies provided by the witches, Shakespeare uses the motifs of hallucinations, prophecies, weather and nature to suggest Macbeth’s eventual demise. The witches' influence is larger than their direct presence in the play as they only appear in four scenes, yet their impression is unfaltering.

The witches are the first characters the audience meets, their presence sets the scene for the rest of the play. Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy “thunder and lightning” to aid the audience in understanding the foreshadowing chaos occurring later in the play. The witches chant “Fair is foul, and foul is fair; Hover through the fog and filthy air.”, which juxtaposes fair and foul, meaning what is considered good is in fact bad and vice versa. When they say “hover”, it implies to the audience that they aren’t human, but rather supernatural beings. The image of “fog and filthy air” foreshadows that the events to follow will be unclear and muddled, preventing the characters from accurately perceiving what would be “fair or foul”. Thus, once the witches give Macbeth the prophecies, his actions aren’t made with a clean conscience.

In the play, hallucinations are seen as signs of guilt from the supernatural. Macbeth’s hallucinations indicate his progressive breakdown and his inability to decipher what is real and what is not. Leaving him relying heavily on the supernatural like a drug. Shakespeare leaves how the hallucinations are interpreted, whether it is shown on stage or imagined in the characters and audiences’ minds.

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One of Macbeth’s most famous soliloquy is the hallucination of the dagger appearing before King Duncan murder. The dagger symbolises fate and the prophecies from the witches motivating Macbeth to kill. In “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee: I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.” Macbeth, though hallucinating, is still a man of conscience and knows the magnitude of his crime. However, he is still hallucinating demonstrating his insanity. He Interprets the dagger in the air to be a sign that supernatural forces want him to commit the murder. The supernatural helps in understanding Macbeth’s decision-making process as he personifies the murder as a ghost. After the vision, Macbeth’s sanity can be questioned.

When the prophecies are first heard from the witches Banquo is with Macbeth. Banquo warns Macbeth against trusting supernatural knowledge, but he didn’t listen, later leading Macbeth to kill Banquo. Macbeth fears Banquo knows too much about the prophecies and wants to get rid of his line due to the witches’ previous prophecies. The symbolism between the two hallucinations of the dagger and Banquo’s ghost both represent the madness Macbeth has been driven towards, by the supernatural. The visions of Banquo's ghost suggest Macbeth is reaching insanity. During his vision he asks the ghost of Banquo “Why, what care i? If thou canst nod, speak too.” It illustrates Macbeth can no longer control himself from the visions as he is in the middle of dinner with important guests. Thus, the hallucinations enable understanding of the play through the witches’ supernatural prophecies.

Macbeth’s characters are heavily influenced by the theme of the supernatural, especially Macbeth himself. The witches are the main symbol of the supernatural although the use of the motif of hallucinations, prophecies, weather, and nature, eventually leading to Macbeth’s ultimate demise. Therefore, the supernatural aids the audience's understanding of Macbeth as Shakespeare used it to narrate the events of the play.

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