How effectively does the supernatural in the play Macbeth engage the audience and shape our response to particular characters.
The 1700’s was an exaggerated time for the supernatural, Shakespeare’s play Macbeth explores this through betrayal, violence, arrogance and desire. The decisions and impulses, the main protagonist, Macbeth makes, allow us to discover this in ways beyond ‘human nature’. The supernatural becomes apparent to us through the characters of the play. We learn that humans blame the supernatural for our misadventure and the occurrences we can’t explain, and through the supernatural we are able to do unnatural things to fulfil our own desires and those of others.
Throughout the play the audience notice that humans have tendencies …show more content…
During act 1, Macbeth is contemplating whether he has the capability to kill his beloved king, he see an illusion of dagger in front of him “Art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?” Shakespeare’s rhetorical question emphasizes the euphemism of him going mad. Macbeth in a time of trouble sense that his mind is creating an illusion showing him what to do. Shakespeare invites the audience to consider how Macbeth is fearful and is influenced by the supernatural elements, he creates excuses to ignore what he is about to do. At the start of the play, Banquo and Macbeth come across three witches, which tell them their fate, after this encounter Banquo questions “Have we eaten the “insane” root that takes the reason prisoner?” The connotations of “insane” allows the audience to understand how unusual this encounter was and how Banquo feels about it. Banquo’s reaction articulates his shock and disbelief towards the witches’ prophecies. The audience engages, with the understanding that supernatural beings can take a humans control over their rational thinking, and ‘change’ their values when they …show more content…
Shakespeare illustrates this through the characters in context of humans adjusting their self-capability, to get what they want and to impress others, who may have underestimated them. In contradiction with this before Macbeth murders the king, Macbeth wife if talking down on him, calling him a coward; “I do fear thy nature, it is too full of the milk of human-kindness” the personification intrigues the audience to explore, the imagery of human kindness filled with milk as this is not a literal thing that can happens, our minds escape to something that is pure and innocent. Lady Macbeth words burden Macbeth to kill the king, as she does not think he is brave enough to do it. Shakespeare emphasizes that the supernatural are able let us overcome our fear and do the unthinkable, if others are depending on us. After this scolding from his wife Macbeth agrees to kill the king and confidently says “I dare do all that may become a man” this declaration of manhood is ironic because we know that on his way to kill the king he starts to question his intentions. Macbeth tries to convince his wife that he is man enough to do this unspeakable act. Shakespeare teaches us through the character of Macbeth that values can be persuaded to do unthinkable acts when we pressured by people close to us. After Macbeth
The 1700’s was an exaggerated time for the supernatural, Shakespeare’s play Macbeth explores this through betrayal, violence, arrogance and desire. The decisions and impulses, the main protagonist, Macbeth makes, allow us to discover this in ways beyond ‘human nature’. The supernatural becomes apparent to us through the characters of the play. We learn that humans blame the supernatural for our misadventure and the occurrences we can’t explain, and through the supernatural we are able to do unnatural things to fulfil our own desires and those of others.
Throughout the play the audience notice that humans have tendencies …show more content…
During act 1, Macbeth is contemplating whether he has the capability to kill his beloved king, he see an illusion of dagger in front of him “Art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?” Shakespeare’s rhetorical question emphasizes the euphemism of him going mad. Macbeth in a time of trouble sense that his mind is creating an illusion showing him what to do. Shakespeare invites the audience to consider how Macbeth is fearful and is influenced by the supernatural elements, he creates excuses to ignore what he is about to do. At the start of the play, Banquo and Macbeth come across three witches, which tell them their fate, after this encounter Banquo questions “Have we eaten the “insane” root that takes the reason prisoner?” The connotations of “insane” allows the audience to understand how unusual this encounter was and how Banquo feels about it. Banquo’s reaction articulates his shock and disbelief towards the witches’ prophecies. The audience engages, with the understanding that supernatural beings can take a humans control over their rational thinking, and ‘change’ their values when they …show more content…
Shakespeare illustrates this through the characters in context of humans adjusting their self-capability, to get what they want and to impress others, who may have underestimated them. In contradiction with this before Macbeth murders the king, Macbeth wife if talking down on him, calling him a coward; “I do fear thy nature, it is too full of the milk of human-kindness” the personification intrigues the audience to explore, the imagery of human kindness filled with milk as this is not a literal thing that can happens, our minds escape to something that is pure and innocent. Lady Macbeth words burden Macbeth to kill the king, as she does not think he is brave enough to do it. Shakespeare emphasizes that the supernatural are able let us overcome our fear and do the unthinkable, if others are depending on us. After this scolding from his wife Macbeth agrees to kill the king and confidently says “I dare do all that may become a man” this declaration of manhood is ironic because we know that on his way to kill the king he starts to question his intentions. Macbeth tries to convince his wife that he is man enough to do this unspeakable act. Shakespeare teaches us through the character of Macbeth that values can be persuaded to do unthinkable acts when we pressured by people close to us. After Macbeth