How Did Shakespeare Make The Witches Seem Supernatural?

by eyeofthepirate (student)

HOW DID SHAKESPEARE MAKE THE WITCHES SEEM SUPERNATURAL? – COMMENTARY…

Macbeth is a tragedy written in the early seventeenth century (Elizabethan times). Shakespeare attracted the audiences' attention through a complex and multi layered structured play. In particular, Shakespeare made this scene very supernatural adding in his combined imagery of violence, darkness and evil. Notably, this scene sets the atmosphere for the rest of the play. Likewise, If this scene would not have been included in Shakespeare’s play, it would have been difficult for the audience to have understood how later scenes are linked or how these three horrid women (witches) can tell Macbeth’s future. Also if these particular elements of this scene were not there (horror and evil) there would have been no connection to the audience what so ever, as mentioned previously, this scene is the starting point, the roots of Macbeth. These characteristics used in the scene for the characters are later to be used to explain the cause of the three witches’ as well as their behavior further on in the play.

My first point I would like to make is the witches’ spoken language. The witches’ speeches in this particular scene are very creepy, spooky and eerie. In this case, Shakespeare had made the witches use a technique called rhyming couplets. This can be proven by the line where the witches say, “thrice to thine, and thrice to mine, and thrice again, to make up nine”. I think the writer has done this to make the audience uncomfortable because it sounds like a spell. It’s almost like the audience feels cursed and they start to feel anxious. Likewise, it also gives the effect of a chant as they are all saying it together in unison. Therefore, the outcome of this would be most likely a soft echo which would give the chilling effect to the audience (the words the three sisters have said).

Moreover to the second point of how the witches seem supernatural in the play are the stage directions. Shakespeare has made some unusual stage directions such as [drum within]. This leaves the audience wandering were the sound source is coming from. Significantly, with the ‘within’ part, it makes me think that the drum is not actually on stage, as it says within. Notably, it’s almost like a sixth sense. This adds to the creepy atmosphere and builds up the spookiness.

Now to consider another point in which the witches seem supernatural are the visual and physical views of them. ...

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Now to consider another point in which the witches seem supernatural are the visual and physical views of them. Witches can be known as funny, weird, mystical for some people. Whereas, for the audience watching the play, the witches will be known as scary, spooky and supernatural creatures that have the power to look in the future, creatures out of this world, As Banquo implies that they are. In the same way, Macbeth and Banquo describe them as inhabitants of the Earth as well as calling them men in a way. A quote to back up my points is “you should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so.” This quote suggests that the witches look very very ugly and have a horrendous outfit as said by Banquo “so withered, and so wild in their attire.” This gives a very displeasing image if the play were to be seen, even to the audience watching the play; they would try to close their eyes for a second to picture how the witches would look like. “Beards” and so “wild” in their attire, makes us believe that the witches are very untidy, unorganized and very unhygienic as shown by the quotes. In the same way, I think that Shakespeare had done this to give a disgustingly ugly visual and physical appearance to the witches to give that scary effect and atmosphere to add up to the performance. In addition to effect, I think that when Shakespeare makes Banquo say the words ‘forbid’ and ‘interpret’ (to think that the witches are women), since the words get straight to the point of calling them men and not woman. They do not take time to explain why they think they look like men, they just say “and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so.” Likewise, this puts a picture into all the audiences mind how witches look like in general and will give a better understanding of the characters visual and physical description to the audience.

Furthermore, into the last point of how do the witches seem supernatural in the scene is the ‘confusion’ this scene provides us and the audience with. Instead of using normal constructed words, the three sisters use a technique called Anthesis also known as Oxymoron. An oxymoron/anthesis is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. The three witches surprisingly use this technique in their part of speech when getting asked questions by Banquo and Macbeth following on their predictions for them. As shown by this quote “not so happy, yet much happier.” Shakespeare has taken two words and saying ones higher that the other. This gives the effect of confusing the audience. I think that Shakespeare has done this to give the scene a little mystery and confusion as its all leading down to spooky factors. As a result of this punctuation, this makes the audience wonder a bit and ask questions (interact).

On the whole, I think that this scene has a lot of main factors that control the audience’s thoughts, feelings and expressions towards the play. In particular, this heightens the tension and the suspense for the audience. One of the main factors contributing to the play's success is that Shakespeare understood the way the audiences' mind worked and what exactly excited their imagination. Superstition and belief in supernatural forces and entities such as witches, ghosts and fairies were quite rampant in Elizabethan England/times. Shakespeare took this fact to his advantage by introducing an element of supernatural in his plays. Thankfully he had used lots for characterizing the witches in this scene and giving a better understanding on who they were and what their role was. In addition, all of the points stated, I think that the most important one that helped characterize the witches and make them seem supernatural was the way they spoke and what they wore, because this was one of the main factors for making the audience think about the witches visually and physically.

Milan Dragacevic 8A Mrs.Walby

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