The Supernatural In Macbeth Essay - 1944 Words

The Supernatural and its’ affect in the play Macbeth The supernatural has always fascinated and continues to intrigue mankind. In many of Shakespeare’s plays, he uses the supernatural to strengthen a particular scene or to influence the impression the audience has about someone or something. This was not strange or uncommon in Shakespeare’s time. In fact, during the 1500s, many people still believed in witches and witchcraft. Even in today’s society, with such advanced science and technology, many people are still influenced, if not dictated by the supernatural. For example, religious people have the belief that their saviour, Jesus Christ was a man of many miracles; one of which was he turned water into wine. Despite the fact that it†¦show more content†¦The first witch had previously sworn to take revenge on a sailor. The second witch then promises to help the first witch by using the wind. This scene demonstrates how weather is used to augment the witches’ powers; thus increasing the fear we have for the witches. The morning of Duncan’s murder, Lennox feels that something horrible occurred the night before. Lennox says, â€Å"The night has been unruly: where we lay, our chimneys were blown down, and as they say†¦of dire combustion and confused events† (2, iii, 58-62). This connects the weather and how it reacts to the untimely and brutal murder of King Duncan. Lennox describes that the night was chaotic, the chimneys made a lot of noise, and that the Earth was shaking so badly it could be described as if it was having a fever. These events prove that weather is significant in the play as it alters the viewers’ or readers’ perception. Another important factor that sets a dark atmosphere is how the animals react to the events of the play. From cats to dogs, animals have always been portrayed with the supernatural. In Egyptian time, cats were perceived as god-like creatures and treated as such. In Macbeth, animals played a different, but crucial role. In Act 2, scene 2, Lady Macbeth states that she had heard an owl shrieked, at the same time Macbeth was killing Duncan. It is evident that there is a relationshipShow MoreRelatedThe Supernatural in Macbeth874 Words   |  4 PagesThe Supernatural in Macbeth The supernatural contributes significantly to the story in the thrilling play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare. The paranormal signs and powers show considerable overlap with insanity in the case of several characters throughout the play. The superhuman agents that appear or contacted in the play are used for evil purposes in almost all the cases, and are predominantly resulting in the death of a human being. 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Moving forward into the modernRead MoreOccult and Supernatural Elements in Macbeth1402 Words   |  6 PagesAlthough Macbeth is not classed as being a supernatural play or a play of the occult, there are some elements in the play that Shakespeare uses to effect. It is necessary however, to define what is meant by the terms ‘occult’ and ‘supernatural’: the term ‘occult’ is defined as being ‘supernatural beliefs, practises or phenomenon’ and the term ‘supernatural’ is de fined as being ‘attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature’; both these terms can be associated with