The supernatural was a predominant element in William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth. It was continuously expressed throughout the play and eventually brought Macbeth to his demise. One must question if Macbeth would have still killed Duncan without the aid of the witches and their prophecies. The main plot line of the play was established when the three witches made their first appearance with Macbeth and Banquo. They made two prophecies to Macbeth and one to Banquo, which stated the following: “All, hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter.” (1.3.51-52.) “Lesser then Macbeth, and greater./ Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! (1.3.68-71.) However, Macbeth had never considered finding truth in the prophecies until he was named thane of Cawdor.
Thus, he was convinced he would be appointed King if Duncan was put to death. Without this scene, the thought of murdering one’s King would have never came to mind. Unnatural events occurred throughout the night of Duncan’s murder. One of which was the appearance of a dagger directing Macbeth towards Duncans bedroom. This vision gave him the courage, fortitude, strength and state of mind needed to pursue his iniquitous deed. “Blood will have blood; they say blood will have blood.” (3.4.151.) It was believed that a murderer would be exposed for his crimes committed. Hence, Macbeth believed that the appearance of Banquo’s ghost signified that he would be periled for what he had done. In addition, his mind was constantly tortured throughout the play.
The Essay on Macbeth – Written To Please King James
KING JAMES OF GREAT BRITAIN (And the design of Macbeth for his approval.) The late 16th century was a time of massive change for England, as old traditions were being discarded and new concepts discovered; in science, commerce, religion, technology – and perhaps most prominently, the arts. In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I, the major instigator of this change, died. James I, who until then had reigned ...
Consequently, being unable to control his visions and actions, demonstrated the extreme influence the witches had upon him. Throughout the play, the witches’ primary intentions were to trigger Macbeths ambition. Their influence was strongly demonstrated in their last appearance with Macbeth. He demanded information, and the witches replied with three apparitions said in the following order: “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;/ Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me: enough.” (4.1.77-78.) “Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn/ The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” (4.1.85-87.) “Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until/ Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him. (4.1.100-102.) Macbeth did not understand the true meaning of what he was told, thus, he became over-confident and failed as king. One could clearly observe that the witches had much mental power over Macbeth. He could have chosen not to kill Duncan, although his greed and ambition for the throne led him to do otherwise. Moreover, he needed the witches to reassure him and give him the confidence he needed in pursuing his malevolent feat.
As a result, Macbeth’s certitude in the witches’ prophecies had brought upon a downfall to none other than himself. A.C Bradly describes the witches’ intentions throughout the play as followed: “This is just what the witches do; they never tell Macbeth any lies; they only allow him to deceive himself. External evil takes advantage of internal weakness.” (Harvey, 19.)
Bibliography:
Harvey, John. Shakespeare, Macbeth, Oxford: Basic Blackwell, 1984 Shakespeare, William. Macbeth, Ontario: Harcourt Brace & Company Canada Ltd, 1988.
