The Use of Supernatural Elements and Their Importance in 'Macbeth'

The use of supernatural elements and their importance in 'Macbeth'
‘Macbeth’ is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It was probably first performed in 1606 and first
published in the folio of 1623. This drama is about a Scottish soldier named Macbeth who worked for
King Duncan. Supernatural elements are vital of the plot.
Use of supernatural elements were common in Elizabethan era. Shakespeare introduced many
supernatural elements into his plays like ghosts, witches, and fairies. The supernatural elements
constitute a significant part of Shakespeare’s plays, whether in the romantic comedies in the early
period---A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1596) or in the tragedies of the second period---Hamlet (1601),
Othello (1606), Macbeth (1606), Romeo and Juliet (1607) or in his later romance---The Tempest (1611).
All of these plays contain the supernatural elements. But Shakespeare’s Macbeth has been rendered the
darkest and the blackest of all his tragedies chiefly by the active role played by such supernatural
elements’ as the Witches and the ghosts, and the presence of apparitions and hallucinations. The
Witches (The three Weird sisters) are the most dreadful supernatural agency in Macbeth.
The play begins with a supernatural scene, where the three witches meet and give many clues as to who
they are or what they have control over, “…We three meet again in thunder, lighting or in rain? When
the battle’s lost and won…. That will be ere the set of sun…. There to meet with Macbeth.” This scene
sets the atmosphere for the rest of the play.
Act 1 Scene 3 is Macbeth’s first meeting with the witches and is also the first time the audience sees or
experiences the witches’ supernatural abilities. “All hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor, All hail, Macbeth!
That shalt be king hereafter”. The witches predict Macbeth’s future and tell him that he shall become
the Thane of Cawdor and then king. After learning that Macbeth is to become King of Scotland the play
follows Macbeth’s plot to get rid of King Duncan and then Macbeth’s life after the murder
King Duncan is to stay at Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth is overwhelmed to hear this and travels ahead of
the King to warn his wife of King Duncan’s arrival the following day. Lady Macbeth is aware of Macbeth’s
meeting with the witches and what they have said. She is more wanting of the royal title than her
husband and has deviously plotted to murder the King during his stay. And they murdered King Duncan
and Macbeth becomes the king.
The ghost of Banque is another supernatural element. Macbeth invites many guests to his banquet.
When he stands to deliver a speech praising Banque then Banque’s ghost appears. Only Macbeth can
see the ghost and he becomes terrified. He started to act abnormally and upsets the guest.
Then appears the air-drawn dagger. “ Is this a dagger I see before me”, Macbeth has a vision of a dagger
just before he is to murder the King. This surreal vision of the dagger is another example of the
supernatural. This dagger encourages Macbeth to commit the crime. His ambitions took control of his
mind.
Macbeth relied on the supernatural so much that he lost his strength of suspicion, this leads Macbeth
into being tricked by the witches. When he is told, “None of women born shall harm Macbeth”, he
becomes over-confident and does not fear nor is careful of anyone. When Macbeth meets Macduff at
his end he is not scared and threatens Macduff not to fight him since he has too much of Macduff’s
family blood on his sword already. Macbeth is suggesting that he can kill Macduff if he wants to. This is
the last meeting between Macbeth and the witches before the play ends and also the last times any
supernatural things occur. The scene also displays the witches’ supernatural abilities and contributes
towards Macbeth’s increasing fear of death, because the apparitions contradict themselves by saying,
“Beware of Macduff” and “None of women born shall harm Macbeth”.
Macbeth does not understand that he is being tricked by the fact that Macduff was born premature. The
contradiction in the apparitions makes Macbeth double minded, unsure, and scared. Though eventually,
with great apprehension, he manages to convince himself that not even Macduff can harm him.
Macbeth has knowledge of Malcolm’s army moving in to attack his castle and has ordered his army also
to attack. Shakespeare finishes the play very dramatically with Macbeth being Slain by Macduff, and
Malcom being crowned the rightful King of Scotland. This is the third and final apparition, which was
given to Macbeth by the witches.
At the start of the play Macbeth is portrayed as a tactful and intelligent soldier but in his final battle he
uses none of these skills. The reason for this is that the evil supernatural has made Macbeth lose these
Virtues. The supernatural elements are very important in ‘Macbeth’.
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