Role Of Supernatural In Macbeth

Improved Essays
When you become a king of a country there is a lot of responsibility, not only for yourself, but for the community around you as well. It also comes with consequences, like the conflict after you make decisions that are a struggle as well as things you really do not want to do. Macbeth, being the King of Scotland, that all plays into part, but he also deals with the supernatural. It is not that the supernatural wanted to come to him, but he actually put himself in that situation from all the wrong doing he has committed to attain the throne of Scotland. The purpose of the witches’ apparitions played a role in Macbeth’s actions that will lead to his downfall. Supernatural is of a manifestation or event that is attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. In Macbeth, the supernatural provides a spark for action, perspicacity into character and expands the impact of many vital scenes. From reading through each act and scene of the play, it is spotted that the supernatural is definitely a significant factor on the play’s style (“Supernatural …show more content…
The bloody child then voices, “Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born. Shall harm Macbeth” (Shakespeare 63). According to this message, given from the apparition, Macbeth cannot be murdered by anyone born of a woman. Now keep in mind, just because Macbeth cannot be killed by a man, does not mean that a woman or anything of the environmental state can slaughter him just as swift as he did King Duncan. After hearing that statement from the second apparition, Macbeth assumes he has nothing to fear from Macduff and is home free. Once again, we find that the apparition really symbolizes Macbeth. Why? Because this time, it’s his immature naïveté that allows him to be led into such bloody desires with so little labor (“The 3 Apparitions in

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    False Security In Macbeth

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Throughout William Shakespeare’s timeless play, Macbeth, there are many instances in which the main protagonist, Macbeth, believes something to be true which is not. Macbeth’s most prominent illusion of the world around him is that he is invincible and cannot be defeated. Mainly through the theme of the danger of false security, Macbeth develops an incorrect sense of the world around him, believing himself to be unbeatable. Macbeth’s fatal misconception of the world around him eventually leads to his kingdom being taken from him and ultimately his life as well.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the supernatural controls the motivations of characters throughout the play. The supernatural not only creates anxiety for the characters, but also the audience. The prophecies that the witches give Macbeth and Banquo is what sparks conflict between characters. This concept is especially shown within Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth.…

    • 1541 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The above symbolises how Macbeth caused his own downfall with how the people are cutting themselves down. In "Macbeth" he cuts himself down by becoming overconfident and letting his guard down after talking to the witches for the second time. The first apparition tells him to fear Macduff; however, he already knew that Macduff would be a problem. The second apparition tells Macbeth something that boosts his confidence ," Laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth." ( Macbeth 4.4.…

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Since, he is worried about his position as king he goes back to visit the witches. He is greeted by three apparitions, the first says to beware Macduff, the second says, “The power of man for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth. (Doc D) Finally, the third says, “Macbeth shall never be…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Generally, the four apparitions talk about Macbeth’s destruction of his future. In Act 4, the four apparitions affect Macbeth’s reaction and response. The first apparition is a head with a helmet on it. This apparition gives a warning to Macbeth to beware of Macduff, “Macbeth! Macbeth!…

    • 1202 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Knowledge is a powerful tool and can be beneficial or destructive, depending on the person’s personality and decisions. This is depicted in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a play about a man, Macbeth, who believes it is his fate to be king due to three witches’ prophecies. During his quest to acquire and keep the crown, he commits murders, goes crazy, and loses most human emotion. Macbeth becomes increasingly less human and more monstrous due to his greed for power and misuse of knowledge.…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Theme Of Masks In Macbeth

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The apparitions symbol people that will bring Macbeth down, but the apparitions speak in vague terms that Macbeth uses as a sign of victory for him. The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware Macduff. Although, the second apparition tells him that no man born of woman will hurt him. Macbeth thinks that he is invincible since every man is born of woman. The third apparition says he will only be defeated when Great Birnam Wood rises to Dunsinane Hill.…

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Also, since Macduff fled the country, this made Macbeth brutally kill Macduff’s whole family. It was Macbeth’s way of sending a message to Macduff to show that whoever defies him will end miserably. Macduff fled to England in order to seek help to take down Macbeth, because of this Macbeth also prepares for war, but does not take it seriously since the apparitions told him he is undefeatable. In reality, this battle was the end of Macbeth, but he does not know it yet. So, when the fight begins, Macbeth discovers that apparitions that the witches predicted, that would never came true, became reality.…

    • 1471 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The witches told him that no man born from a women would be able to kill him and Macbeth sees this as him being immortal. This only adds to Macbeth 's vision of himself, because he now sees himself of being above any…

    • 1152 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the supernatural are a vital part of the play and they play a big part in the motivation of characters. Macbeth is filled with elements such as, the three witches, the floating dagger, and the ghost of Macduff. These elements are what cause action and chaos during the play and are major causes of Macbeth’s ambition, murder, insanity, his downfall and, ultimately, his death. Through temptation, they motivate characters to think selfishly and for their own benefit.…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    One may try and argue that Lady Macbeth or ambition drove Macbeth to commit his murderous acts to become king, but they are missing out on the main catalysts of everyone’s actions including Macbeth; the witches. Without these three demonic figures, Macbeth would be a history rather than a tragedy. By sparking Macbeth’s most inner desires, they were able to guide him down his dark path, which ultimately led to his death. The ideas they pushed to the front of his mind eventually drove this heroic man to become as dark as the devil himself.…

    • 1762 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Free Will or Fate People can influence others, despite the fact that they can achieve the goal of persuading people into thinking another way, oneself is not force-fed into making any actions that one decides to make. Everyone is born with free will, sometimes a person can not control what happens, but they do have control over the choices they aim to make. The choices one makes practically determines their fate. Macbeth made some poor decisions and let people influence him and that led to his ultimate downfall. Macbeth retains free will, although at times he allows the witches and even Lady Macbeth to persuade him, he is the reason for his own fate and downfall.…

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The reader should notice that not once does Lady Macbeth speak of her own desire to be queen or the power that she might gain. Upon realizing that Macbeth can only attain the crown through regicide, her only concern is that her husband will need her help. She even feels it necessary to beg the forces of darkness to fortify her for the task, thus betraying the fact that she does not believe herself to be capable of the murder without appealing to the supernatural. This is important. In Shakespeare’s time, the act of opening oneself up to evil spirits would have been scandalous, and Lady Macbeth does exactly that for the benefit of Macbeth.…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Later in the story, as Macbeth seeks the witches out to find the worst of his fate, the witches feed him riddles which show him the prophecy of his own death and downfall However, these apparitions that appear only served to feed Macbeth’s ego, yet each apparition reveals to be more and more unclear. The first apparition, an armed head, screams out: “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware MacDuff! Beware the Thane of Fife!”…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Shakespeare knew too well that such supernatural powers might lose their influence if they are seen or appeared more than usual. They can dominate the whole action and shape the destiny of the hero by their sparing use. This shows how much Shakespeare was skilful in his artistry. The supernatural element is not a mere illusion of the hero. The appearance of the witches has an objective existence as they are seen not only by Macbeth but by Banquo too.…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics