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Macbeth - importance of supernatural essay
Macbeth - importance of supernatural essay Achieved level 9 in English
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Importance of supernatural in MacbethIn Macbeth, supernatural is a vital theme and one of the reasons behind why Macbeth does
several things, such as murder Duncan and Banquo. It is also the theme that takes over the
characters of both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth.
Contextually, the characters of the witches are used in the play to appease King James as he
hated witchcraft. By presenting the witches as evil, Shakespeare presents the witches in a
negative light to appease James and acquire favour in his court. James’ hatred towards
witches was engendered after he interrogated the witch Agnus Simpson, who revealed to
him the exact words he and his wife said together on the first night of their marriage, which
shocked James and sparked his hatred. The supernatural and evil nature surrounding the
witches in the play are evident in the way they speak; in paradoxes and trochaic tetrameter
which highlights their evil and deceitful characteristics. Banquo describes that they “look
not like th’inhabitants of the earth” and that they “should be women”, but aren’t because
they have beards. This ambiguous sexuality suggests that the witches are inhumane and
supernatural, qualities that allow them to prophesize to Macbeth, which awakes his
dormant ambition.
Moreover, the theme of the supernatural is highlighted in Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth
asks “spirits” to “unsex” her. This reflects the beliefs at the time that women were inferior
and weaker than men, thus Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to take away her women features
so that she is strong enough to be able to fulfil her ambition. This also portrays Lady
Macbeth’s ambiguous sexuality, neither man or women, but ‘it’ like the witches, which
draws her towards the supernatural. The theme of supernatural is important since it allows
Lady Macbeth to free herself from the constraints of being a woman and able to convince
Macbeth to commit regicide.
Furthermore, supernatural plays an important role in ‘Macbeth’, as it awakens his dormant
ambition. Following the witches’ prophesies that Macbeth “shall be king hereafter”,
Macbeth becomes hooked on the witches. This is insinuated as Macbeth is “rapt withal”
and keen to know more of this “strange intelligence”. This obsession with the witches’
insights that Macbeth has cause him to be drawn to the supernatural. After the first
meeting with the witches’, Macbeth repeats the equivocating words that the witches’ said,
saying “So foul and fair and fair a day I have not seen”, which emphasises the power of the
supernatural – that it can take over a person’s mind. This is further explored when Macbeth
says “black Hecate’s summons the shard borne beetle”, he channels the witches’ spells into
his dialogue, and so the witches supernatural takes over the character of Macbeth.
Overall, the theme of supernatural is crucial in ‘Macbeth’, because the supernatural nature
of the witches’ trigger Macbeth’s ambition to kill the king, which leads to his downfall. It is
also important because it shapes the evil character of Lady Macbeth and allows her to fulfil
her ambition, which also leads to her breakdown.
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