William Shakespeare's famous tragedy, Macbeth, written in the early seventeenth century presents a variety of supernatural elements to the reader. These supernatural elements include the presence of witchcraft, usage of apparitions and ghosts, the King's Evil and the possession of the human spirit by unnatural forces. There is no doubt Shakespeare intended the audience to respond to these supernatural elements. The interesting aspect however, is the difference in response that can occur depending on the cultural and historical background of the reader. This difference in audience response is to be discussed, highlighting the possible responses of a Jacobean audience compared to those of a present day reader.

In relation to witchcraft, while there are only four scenes in which the three Witches appear, (Act I, Sc.1; Act I, Sc. 3; Act IV, Sc. 1, Act III, Sc. 5), their influence on the audience or reader is experienced throughout the drama, both...