This section contains 1,124 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
Shakespeare's Use of the Supernatural in "Macbeth"
Summary: In his play "Macbeth," William Shakespeare incorporated the supernatural to create suspense, to provide insight into characters, to foreshadow future events, and to enable the audience to connect with the themes of the play. Shakespeare's use of the supernatural involved not only the expected appearances of witches and ghosts, but also the political and religious aspects of English society during his time.
The supernatural was a popular element in many of the plays written in Shakespeare's time (including Hamlet) and everyone of Shakespeare's time found the supernatural fascinating. Even King James I took a special interest in supernatural and written a book, Daemonologie, on witchcraft. It must be remembered that, in Shakespeare's day, supernatural referred to things that were "above Nature"; things which existed, but not part of the normal human life and unexplainable. The play Macbeth involves many supernatural actions that act as a catalyst for suspense and thrill, insight into character, foreshadowing of future events as well as making connections with the theme.
In the opening scene of the play, the entrance of the three witches depicts the first presence of supernatural in Macbeth. The presence of the supernatural forces of the witches was accompanied by the dark, gloomy and thunderous ambience, perhaps functioning as a foreshadowing of...
This section contains 1,124 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |