The Supernatural & Macbeth .
Supernatural beings are used to create dramatic emphasis in all forms of literature. Shakespeare uses .
witches, ghosts, and apparitions in his play, Macbeth to create this dramatic effect. The supernatural is also.
used to provoke a reaction from the audience. Imagine how frightened people must have been when this.
play first debuted during the Elizabethan Era. The population of the Elizabethan era had certain ideas about .
witches, which the three witches in Macbeth were based on. The witches added an element of the .
supernatural to Macbeth, as did the appearance of Banquo's ghost and the apparitions that emerged at .
Macbeth's final rendezevous with the three witches. All of these occurrences created a more dramatic .
atmosphere of suspense.
Macbeth, is filled with references to the supernatural, as well as the actual appearance of them. The .
witches in the story are like prophets, foretelling Macbeth's future. They sure seem to love messing with .
Macbeth's mind and chant in a disturbing fashion, "The weird sisters, hand in hand,/ Posers of the sea and .
and,/ Thus do go about ,about:/ Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,/ and thrice again, to make up nine./ .
Peace! The charm's wound up." (I, iii, 83-87) .
Banquo's ghost appeared at Macbeth's banquet, but Macbeth was the only one who was able to see .
him. Macbeth seemed to be very unnerved by this occurrence and completely lost touch with reality when .
the ghost was present. When Lady Macbeth tried to call him down, he couldn't even acknowledge her .
presence. He seemed to be in a trance-like state. .
The images that appeared to Macbeth when he returned to the witches for reassurance before the battle against Malcolm and the English forces, were conjured up by the witches. For example, the crowned child represented Malcolm, the son of Duncan who defeated Macbeth in order to become king. These were images foretelling the future, which the witches had explained to Macbeth, but the witches disguised the truth in order to give Macbeth a false sense of security.
