To the modern reader, the idea of the weird sisters in Macbeth being truly supernatural may seem laughable. In this era of skepticism and scientific thinking, superstition is typically relegated to children’s stories and fantasy novels. Today’s standard just-the-facts mentality makes it difficult for audiences to suspend disbelief as to the nature of the witches. However, it is vital to consider the time period in which the text was written, as the prevailing attitudes towards the supernatural were much different than they are today.
During the Elizabethan Era, England saw a resurgence of belief in the occult. The trend was partially driven by the invention of the printing press, which allowed for the popularization of religious texts that …show more content…
Although A.C. Bradley, a renowned Shakespearean scholar and author of Shakespearean Tragedy, was famously critical of the notion that the witches were supernatural, he did acknowledge that they bear striking resemblance to the superstitions of the time (179). In particular, he notes that audiences would have believed witches to have the abilities to control the weather, to fly unseen through the air, to keep familiars, and to predict the future. Bradley explains that these beliefs were described in Reginald Scot’s Discovery and could have influenced both Shakespeare and his audience (178). References to all of those superstitions can easily be found in Macbeth. For example, Shakespeare immediately associates the weird sisters with familiars in the opening scene, having one say “I come, Greymalkin” (I.i.9) and another “Paddock calls” (I.i.10). Elizabethan theatre-goers would have easily recognized these as references to familiars: evil spirits who took animal form (in this case, a cat and a toad, respectively) and assisted the witches. Shakespeare makes these sorts of allusion all throughout the play, indicating that he wanted the witches to be associated with the superstitions of the …show more content…
James was an ardent believer in witchcraft, even writing a book entitled Daemonologie about his personal beliefs on the matter (Calhoun). He also composed a publication detailing the malicious activities of Dr. Fian, Agnis Samson, and the North Berwick witches, whom he alleged to have attempted to sink his ship using witchcraft (Calhoun). It is highly likely that Shakespeare drew inspiration from these sources, using specific references to their content to win the king’s favor. There are several notable passages in Macbeth that parallel James’ works. For instance, the witches use such ingredients as “poisoned entrails” (IV.I.5) and “liver of blaspheming Jew” (IV.I.26) in their concoction. This was likely a direct reference to James’ law forbidding the use of dead body parts in witchcraft (Calhoun). In addition, Macbeth describes the witches’ vanishing “As breath into the wind” (I.iii.85), which can be linked to James’ belief that witches could vanish and travel, invisible, through the air (Calhoun). Shakespeare went to great pains to ensure that the witches in his text resembled those that James frequently maligned, implying that he intended for his audience to see them in that supernatural
During the Elizabethan Era, England saw a resurgence of belief in the occult. The trend was partially driven by the invention of the printing press, which allowed for the popularization of religious texts that …show more content…
Although A.C. Bradley, a renowned Shakespearean scholar and author of Shakespearean Tragedy, was famously critical of the notion that the witches were supernatural, he did acknowledge that they bear striking resemblance to the superstitions of the time (179). In particular, he notes that audiences would have believed witches to have the abilities to control the weather, to fly unseen through the air, to keep familiars, and to predict the future. Bradley explains that these beliefs were described in Reginald Scot’s Discovery and could have influenced both Shakespeare and his audience (178). References to all of those superstitions can easily be found in Macbeth. For example, Shakespeare immediately associates the weird sisters with familiars in the opening scene, having one say “I come, Greymalkin” (I.i.9) and another “Paddock calls” (I.i.10). Elizabethan theatre-goers would have easily recognized these as references to familiars: evil spirits who took animal form (in this case, a cat and a toad, respectively) and assisted the witches. Shakespeare makes these sorts of allusion all throughout the play, indicating that he wanted the witches to be associated with the superstitions of the …show more content…
James was an ardent believer in witchcraft, even writing a book entitled Daemonologie about his personal beliefs on the matter (Calhoun). He also composed a publication detailing the malicious activities of Dr. Fian, Agnis Samson, and the North Berwick witches, whom he alleged to have attempted to sink his ship using witchcraft (Calhoun). It is highly likely that Shakespeare drew inspiration from these sources, using specific references to their content to win the king’s favor. There are several notable passages in Macbeth that parallel James’ works. For instance, the witches use such ingredients as “poisoned entrails” (IV.I.5) and “liver of blaspheming Jew” (IV.I.26) in their concoction. This was likely a direct reference to James’ law forbidding the use of dead body parts in witchcraft (Calhoun). In addition, Macbeth describes the witches’ vanishing “As breath into the wind” (I.iii.85), which can be linked to James’ belief that witches could vanish and travel, invisible, through the air (Calhoun). Shakespeare went to great pains to ensure that the witches in his text resembled those that James frequently maligned, implying that he intended for his audience to see them in that supernatural