In Act 1, scene 3, Shakespeare presents the witches to the audience using rhyming language, “a drum, a drum; Macbeth doth come”, short sentences, “sister, where thou?” repetition, “I’ll do, I’ll do and I’ll do.” The rhyming language creates a rhythm and a beat conveying evil coming as the sound of a drum is familiarised with war. The rhyming is also signs of spells and an incantation. The short sentences are also broken up conveying disfigurement and distachment, which are likened with evil and insanity. The repetition the witches speak are confusing to Macbeth and do not seem to make any sense, but the repetition is signs of spell chanting like they are stirring up magic. The witches, no matter how many of them, are all one voice. The voice of the devil. This is why the sentences are split between them, they all have the same purpose.
The Elizabethan audience would understand from Shakespeare’s language and stage directions that thunder and lightning creates an evil, threatening and ominous atmosphere. It also gets across the idea of nature disturbed in the world, and the witches in an uncivilised place. Evil is thought of to have been let loose in the world of man causing havoc and chaos. The Elizabethan audience would also understand the witches are associated with evil, as the stage directions of the witches entering comes immediately after “thunder”, which is associated with disturbings of nature and evil.
“ A drum, a drum; Macbeth doth come.” This is a rhyming couplet. The sounds are associated with evil and war, as adrum is thought of as marching into battle. These sounds introduce the enter of Macbeth, so that the audience assume that this character is a main character with evil qualities or intentions.
The audience understands that the witches have wound up a charm specifically for Macbeth. The audience although has not yet met Macbeth, but has heard of his bravery and his personality and are anxious to meet him. The witches stir up an incantation for him, which makes the audience think there is or will be some evil in Macbeth. Shakespeare is trying to make the audience sit up and listen for the long awaited arrival of Macbeth.So far in the play the audience have heard of Macbeth’s bravery and heroism, but now an association with evil creatures, the witches changes their perspective of him.
Shakespeare gives comparison of the different characters, the characters can be contrasted and it is more interesting for the reader to have other characters around Macbeth, fulfilling Shakespeare’s purpose.
Macbeth’s opening line is, “so foul and fair a day I have not seen”. This language is like the witches and he repeats the words of the witches. This instantly links Macbeth linguistically with the witches.
In this scene there is a strong sense of evil and the Supernatural. Macbeth says to the witches, “speak if you can: what are you?” This is commanding and strong language. Here the witches have come infront of Macbeth’s path, obviously seeking him, and he wants to know who or what they are and what their purpose in being there is. The witches say to Macbeth, “All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis”.
“All hail to Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor.”
“All hail to Macbeth, hail to thee, that shalt be King hereafter.” There is repetition here and very respectful and worshipping language. The witches seem to be telling the future and proposing that Macbeth will soon be King. The witches are a trinity of evil, but Macbeth becomes intrigued to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers. Tell me more”. The audience already knows that Macbeth is Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, only recently, but not King.
Banquo says to Macbeth, “Good sir, why do you start?” Macbeth’s reaction is surprise and fear. Banquo does not think that Macbeth should be taking the witches too seriously. Macbeth is fearful that the witches have spoken out-loud his hidden ambitions. It is Banquo that draws the audience’s attention to Macbeth’s startled reaction. The two words that Macbeth did not want anyone to hear aloud were, “King hereafter”. It is his secret ambition.
In this line Shakespeare suggests that Macbeth is cionsidering evil. “That he seems rapt withal”. This means that Macbeth is spellbound and appears in a trance. This is evidence of the Supernatural.
Macbeth has already been presented to the audience in many different ways with two sides to him. He is a “Good Sir” and “My Noble partner”. But he has also revealed the other side to him with his reaction to the witches so called future telling, “why do you start and seem to fear things that sound so fair?”, and he is “rapt withal”.
Shakespeare uses different type of language and different vocabulary to convey the Supernatural and the witches, and their denomic behaviour. There is a contrast used in the language of Macbeth’s appearance and the reality of him. He is a “Good Sir” that is “rapt withal”.
In act 1 scene 5, Lady Macbeth is calling upon evil spirits to assist her in her murderous plans. She says her words as a spell, like a witch, associating herself with evil. The evil, murderous plans are for her and her husband, Macbeth, to have greatness and power. Lady Macbeth calls upon the largest source of evil for assistance.”Come, you spirits”, spirits being the devil.
Her language used is hard, cold, evil, cruel, and disgusting, as she desperately wants to rid herself of all her kind, good, motherly and womanly qualities, to carry out her deeds successfully. Lady Macbeth wants the devil to help her have no feelings to get to her heart, so when she has performed the deeds, she will not feel any guilt or remorse or confess under pressure, ruining her plans.
Lady Macbeth’s language sounds like the witches like a prayer or a spell. She uses words like “unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topful of direst cruelty; make thick my blood.” This means take away my femininity so I am neither male nor female and fill me from head to toe with evil, and make my blood thick so I am strong and heartless unlike other weak humans. “Come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers,” This means that Lady Macbeth wants all her motherly instincts to be taken away from her and instead, her milk can be used for poison for the devil. “Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry, ‘Hold, hold’. Lady Macbeth is asking here for dank darkness to come from the smokiest place in hell to make sure that she or anybody else cannot see the murders she will commit, and that she is not responsible but the devil is. Lady Macbeth does not want heaven and good thoughts to tempt her to stop.
Shakespeare creates a cold, dark atmosphere putting a picture in the head of red and black, blood and darkness. The atmosphere is evil, scary, and witchcraft seems to loom near, with the words “Fatal, direst cruelty, blood, remorse, murd’ring ministers, mischief, thick night, smoke, hell, knife, dark, and cry.”
In Act 2 Scene 1 Macbeth is alone and he hallucinates, thinking he is seeing a bloodstained dagger. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?” He sees evil images which means he is getting scared and worried about the murders. This is shown when he says “And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before.” This means that he is seeing the dagger now with bloodstains on. Shakespeare’s language conveys that Macbeth is making his final preparations towards the murder. He is now associated with witchcraft, which rules in the night and celebrates evil. This is shown by him saying “Witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate’s off’rings, and withered murder, Alarumed by his sentinel, the wolf.” This means that he is associating the idea of murder as an offering to Hecate the goddess of witchcraft and hearing the alarmed howl of the wolf guarding her. He wants to be quiet and secret and prays to the earth that he is not heard and that nothing gives him away. This shows when he says” Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear thy very stones prate of my whereabout,” When he hears a bell, he feels it is a funeral bell and is tolling for Duncan, “Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell." ”This rhyming language sounds like a witches chant and creates a spooky atmosphere. The entire speech shows Macbeth's’ increasing insanity, seeing visions and talking of witchcraft and associating the sound of the bell with a funeral.
In Act 2 Scene 2, after the murder, Macbeth is obsessed by his inability to say “Amen”, and by a voice crying that he has murdered sleep and will never sleep again. Lady Macbeth dismisses his hallucinations and orders him to return the daggers. He refuses. ” But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”? I had most need of blessing and “Amen” stuck in my throat.” This means that Macbeth cannot look to God for help anymore because of all his sin inside of him and devil like soul. The atmosphere conveyed to the audience is tense, dramatic and urgent. This is shown in the language used, as there are many short sentences and broken lines. “There’s one did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried, “Murder!”, that they did wake each other; I stood, and heard them, but they did say their prayers and addressed them again to sleep.” Shakespeare is trying to teach the audience that guilt and fear can corrupt and turn people mad. Lady Macbeth is trying to put across the need to control themselves and not give way to panic and madness. Macbeth is now afraid to sleep and feel he will never rest again.
In Act 2 Scene 4 Ross and an Old Man talk about the darkness and unnaturalness of events that mirror Duncan’s murder. The sun is obscured, owls kill falcons, and Duncan’s horses eat each other. Macduff arrives. Shakespeare uses symbolic language that describes the natural orde of the food chain destryed; it is also made descriptive and bold showing the unnatural happenings. “That darkness does the face of earth entomb when living light should kiss it? ‘Tis unnatural, even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last, a falcon tow’ring in her pride of place was by a mousing owl hawked and killed.” This is saying that darkness has taken the place of light and the food chain has been unnaturally turned around, as a small mousing owl was seen killing a larger falcon. Also, Macbeth represents the mousing owl killing Duncan, the falcon, somebody higher ranking than him and taking his place, so the unnatural events of the disordered food chain mirrors life taking place in the castle. Also Macduff tells that Duncan’s sons bribed the killers and have now fled. “They were suborned. Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s two sons, are stol’n away ane led, which puts them on suspicion of the deed”. Macbeth has been elected King, and has gone to Scone to be crowned. Macduff will not attend the ceremony. The Old Man blesses peacemakers. “They were suborned. Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s two sons, are stol’n away and fled, which puts upon them suspicion of the deed.” Shakespeare is teaching the audience that greed will destroy everything in life and that to go against the natural order of things results in disaster.
In Act 3 Scene 4 we are at the banqueting hall in Forres. This is a formal state celebration to mark Macbeth’s kingship. This is a big Supernatural scene that shows to the audience and the Lords and Thanes of Scotland, of how Macbeth is turning insane and showing the sign of the devil within him, because he sees a bloody covered ghost. Macbeth welcomes his guests, but at the sight of the dead Banquo unnerves him and Lady Macbeth tries to cover for him and calm the Lords. Lady Macbeth scolds Macbeth for his display of fear and the ghost of Banquo disappears but later returns. On the return of Banquo’s ghost Macbeth believes he has come to haunt him and bursts into violent language commanding him away. “Avaunt and quit my sight! Let thee earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; thou hast no speculation in those eyes which thou dost glare with.” From this scene that Macbeth creates he has upset the order of the banquet forcing Lady Macbeth to act and order the Lords to leave. This is unnatural behaviour in the ways of kingship as the King is supposed to dismiss his guests not the Queen. Also the Lords are meant to sit in a special order according to their rank and leave in that order but in a hurry to get them out before they see any more of Macbeth’s wild attacks towards an invisible Banquo, to the Lords and the play audience, Lady Macbeth dismisses them without them leaving in their normal stature. The Lords are curious and suspicious towards Macbeth’s strange behaviour and tantrum like fit.”What is’t that moves your highness?”
“Which of you have done this?”
“What, my good Lord?”
“Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at me!”
“Gentlemen, rise, his highness is not well.” This means that Macbeth has reacted to the sight of the ghost whether he has company with him or not. Macbeth believes that one of the Lords know of the murder and have done this to tease him, this makes Macbeth shocked and afraid. These are key lines as his behaviour gives away his guilt and sin to the Lords and public of Scotland. The Lords are confused as their King is speaking to an empty chair and denying some sin he has committed. Macbeth is describing it as bloody and gory, this is unhealthy and shows that he is sick with evil.
Lady Macbeth is a good wife as she supports him, takes control and covers up for him, even though she is very angry with him for not acting like a genuine King in front of his guests. “You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting with most admired disorder.” Lady Macbeth is a strong woman that does not want her husband to give them away and ruin all her plans for success. Lady Macbeth talks to Macbeth away from the guests in strong, reprimanding language. She says he is unmanly and unheroic. “Are you a man?” Macbeth believes this ghost is real and cannot see why nobody else is frightened of it. The ghost is only real in his mind though. “This is the very painting of your fear; this is the air-drawn dagger which you said led you to Duncan.”
I think that Shakespeare wants to show the audience of the sin and guilt that drives you to insanity after committing a crime, by showing all Macbeth’s fit of insanity and scary and alarming behaviour in a large supernatural scene. After that scary image that frightens and unnerves Macbeth he feels that he is ready for any harm or Supernatural elements that may come his way. He also that he could now do any amount of evil to get what he wants. Macbeth makes a conscious decision to seek out the witches and to find the future from there, even if he has to bully them into it. He is that desperate. He is looking for Satan’s servants and choosing the path of evil. “I will tomorrow-and betimes I will-to the weird sisters. More shall they speak. For know I am bent to know by the worst means, the worst; for mine own good, all causes shall give way.” Macbeth is entering very deeply into evil, he has changed and almost lost all of his old, good, honest, true and heroic qualities.
In Act 4 Scene 1 the witches prepare to meet Macbeth. They chant as they circle the cauldron, throwing in horrible ingredients to make a sickening brew. The witches complete the preparation of their hellish brew and are congratulated by Hecate. Macbeth enters and challenges them to answer what he asks, irrespective of the most appalling qualities. The witches show their Apparitions. An armed head warns Macbeth; “beware Macduff”. A bloody Child tells him that no naturally born man can harm him. Macbeth, though reassured, swears to kill Macduff. The third Apparition promises that Macbeth will not be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. Macbeth demands to know more about the future. The witches present a procession of eight kings and Banquo. Having presented Banquo’s descendants as kings, the Witches dance, then vanish, to Macbeth’s anger.”Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour, stand aye accursed in the calendar”, this means, where are they? This evil, vile hour can curse them.” Hearing of Macduff’s flight, Macbeth resolves to kill every member of Macduff’s family he can catch.”The castle of Macduff I will surprise; seize upon Fife; give to th’edge o’th’sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line.” This is Macbeth’s decision because he has misinterprets the witches thinking he has to kill Macduff and his family, it means; go to Macduff’s castle and kill all his family and relatives. This is an atrocity, a slaughter of the innocents like King Herod slaughtering the first-born.
I think that Shakespeare’s purpose is to show the audience he is being deceived and tricked into a false sense of security by the witches apparitions and words. The witches words are deceiving and make Macbeth believe that he is invisible and unbreakable and safe as all the witches predictions are very unlikely to happen to Macbeth.”The power of man, for none of women born shall harm Macbeth.” Macbeth thinks that everything on their earth is mortal therefore are women born, so that nothing or no one will ever harm him. The three apparitions all tell Macbeth’s future unless he is careful and realises the truth behind their words. Each one warns him or represents something close to him e.g first apparition; Macbeth beware Macduff or he will kill you. Second apparition is a bloody child representing Macduff’s birth whom had a caesarean section telling him that no one of women born will harm him. Third apparition is a child crowned representing Malcolm with a tree representing Birnam Wood as a camouflage. The show of eight kings and many more through a mirror with Banquo shows that Banquo will have many descendants even though he is dead, this worries Macbeth as it shows that his descendants will not carry on his role as King.”Horrible sight! Now I see ‘tis true, for the blood-boltered Banquo smiles upon me, and points them for his.”
Macbeth’s language in this scene is jumpy, breathless, angry, strong, patronising to the witches and commanding.”That will never be: who can impress the forest, bid the tree unfix his earthbound root? Sweet bodements, good.” At the end of the scene Macbeth only trusts himself and he decides that Macduff’s family are to be slaughtered along with anyone else in the castle. He does not want his kingship taken away from him.
In Act 5 Scene 5, page 147 Lady Macbeth’s death sets Macbeth brooding on life’s futility. A messenger tells that Birnam Wood is moving towards Dunsinane. Macbeth doubts the Apparition’s ambiguous words. He determines to die fighting. Macbeth has lost confidence as he realises the second meaning of the witch’s predictions. The Wood is moving as the witches said it would and if it is true Macbeth does not want to wait there in his castle, he will fight.” Arm, arm, and out! If this which he avouches does appear, there is nor flying hence nor tarrying here.” Macbeth is so evil and full of sin now that he is starting to rhyme like the witches.
In Act 5 Scene 8 facing Macduff, Macbeth boasts that no naturally born man can kill him, but Macduff reveals his own Caesarean birth. Dismayed, Macbeth refuses to fight. Macduff threatens that he will be exhibited in captivity. Macduff says, stop yourself babbling and let me tell you I had a Caesarean at birth. Macbeth, is shocked by this after his bout of boasting and he curses the witches again for their trickery.” Accursed be that tongue that tells me so.”
In Act 5 Scene 9 Macduff displays Macbeth’s severed head, and hails Malcolm as King of Scotland. Malcolm rewards his nobles for their services, creating them earls. He invites everyone to his coronation at Scone. This final speech is said by Malcolm and it rounds of the play as everything is back to normal now, Scotland returns to peace, justice, and harmony and the rightful King is once again back on the throne. Everybody is happy and others that had fled from Macbeth or been banished by him can return to their homes. Malcolm promises to do everything in the right, orderly, proper and Christian way so that the running of his Kingdom goes smoothly and he becomes a good King. “This and what needful else that calls upon us, by the grace of Grace we will perform in measure, time, and place.” I think that Shakespeare wants the audience to understand that greed and hunger for power always in the end destroy you and you cannot get away with evil and sin and not pay a price.
My personal response is that the Supernatural elements of the play are very effective and help the play a lot to portray evil, sin and wrongdoing. The supernatural helps my understanding of the play as each time a supernatural element comes into the play it shows and symbolises how Macbeth and all around him and involved with him are slowly going being corrupted and going to be destroyed by their guilt and sin. The supernatural is very useful in this way and is a good, exciting part of the play.
In the time of Shakespeare and the Elizabethans, I think that the Elizabethan audience would have found Macbeth more tragic, sinful and evil than we do today as our beliefs are different now. I think that the Elizabethan audience had fixed views on everything and they were not used to change and seemed to dislike anything too new or different. A lot of images would not be so evil, dark and sinister now as they were then, as in the present we are open to a lot of new technology and changes.
I do not know whether supernatural elements exist or not, but believe that evil ambitions can corrupt people and make them do evil things.
I have not had any supernatural experiences.
Macbeth himself was responsible for his own moral downfall and death and even though Lady Macbeth egged him on, it was his choice in the end. Macbeth should have been stronger and should not have gone to the witches and allowed himself to be tempted by dreams of ambition.
I have learned from this play that you should never let greed and ambition rule your life and that evil and sin can result in madness. Shakespeare’s language shows that the Elizabethans liked highly dramatic and over the top plays with horror and murder involved.
