Witchcraft In Macbeth

In Macbeth, the supernatural plays a huge role throughout the play. It excites the audience as witchcraft was the buzz of the early 1600's. People were frightened, but also intrigued by witches. In this time period hundreds of women were accused of being witches, publicly hanged, and witch hunts was a daily occupation. Witches struck fear in everyone and sent chills through the audience. More specifically, James I, who Shakespeare would have been putting his plays on for, was especially terrified of witches. Shakespeare putting supernatural elements into Macbeth pleases the King, which was the goal of these plays. Also, government used witchcraft as an excuse for anything that went wrong in their societies. In one incident, there was a child …show more content…
In the first scene Macbeth appears, the three witches already influenced the course of Macbeth's life forever. The three witches say the first part of Macbeth's prophecy, " All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter" (1.3.51-53)! This was the mark of Macbeth's life where his future was set in stone. Everyone in this time period believed in the supernatural, so of course Macbeth thought this truly was his destiny. He started to believe he could actually be King as he says, " If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me" (1.3.157-158). In his new found confidence Macbeth knew that he would become King one day. This idea is the catalyst in Macbeth's actions as he believed that he would become king one or another. He quickly realized this as in the next scene he addresses King Duncan's son as a step that he needs to …show more content…
In the beginning of Macbeth, he is know confident that he will be and considers this to be an almost given. However, the supernatural interfere with his life again in controlling his mental state. When King Duncan came to stay at Macbeth's home, he was honored, and almost immediately returned home to tell his wife the great news. Macbeth's wife knew about the witches prophecy for Macbeth and saw this as an opportunity to raise her own power. Lady Macbeth is seen as being supernatural as she calls upon the spirits to "unsex" and to give her the strength of a man to control her husband. She continues on to control his mental state and further confuse Macbeth as she questions his manhood, " When you durst do it, then you were a man;And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man" (1.7.56-58). This is a form of mind control to Macbeth as he is a prideful man and does not want to disappoint his wife. Macbeth eventually went on to agree with his wife and killed Duncan. The supernatural also controls Macbeth's mental state after he kills Banquo. Macbeth is attending a banquet when the ghost of Banquo appears in Macbeth's chair. Immediately, Macbeth his paralyzed with astonishment and says, "Thou canst not say I did it: never shake thy gory locks at me" (3.4.62-63). The supernatural have complete control over Macbeth, and he even continues to have an outburst. Macbeth was driven mad by seeing Banquo's ghost