The Supernatural Events Of Macbeth Plays English Literature Essay

Supernatural occurrings and prophecies have always been a subject of interest and an unexplained mystery that has awed the human nature ever since the man is born on earth. When the greed, lust and creed for the money, power and throne overtakes the man, he starts seeking help from the evil powers that are often unseen. He tries to get the knowledge of future to take measures appropriate enough to take the short-cut path towards his ambition. Short-cuts always involve evil and evil powers are sought to accomplish evil and horrifying tasks that no man can think to do in his complete senses intact.

Shakespeare adopted the same strategy to grab the interest and attention of his viewers. And he was pretty successful in using supernatural events and prophecies as the basic element of the play. this made his play “Macbeth” one of the greatly remembered and recognized play of all the times. Hence, we can say that the key element that made the play and its concept worked are the witches, the apparitions, the ghosts and the visions that have occurred throughout the play time-to-time.

The supernatural events in the play gave clues to the audiences to what is going to happen in the future with the Macbeth as well as Lady Macbeth. The paly holds a very deep meaning for those who have been following the evil powers and magic from centuries and have seen to meet the almost similar fate as that of the Macbeth. Now we shall be throwing the light exclusively on the play “Macbeth”, to know how the appearances of supernatural events, the witches and the apparitions determined and predicted the fate of Macbeth.

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The first supernatural event that occurred in the play was the three witches appearing in the beginning of the play, predicting the gruesome fate of Macbeth that gave the audiences an idea for what is going to happen in the end. “When the battles lost and won” (Act I, Scene I, l.4) said by second witch. This means that every battle will be won by one and lost by the other side. this determined the fate of Macbeth that he will go on and win the battle, but he will lose against the time in the battle of his soul and life. This was the very first supernatural event to occur in the play. This prophecy made Macbeth depend on the witches too much. He started trusting them for guiding him towards his luck or rather fate. This blind trust of Macbeth on the witches cost him his life in the end.

After the audiences are given the clue of the Macbeth’s fate, next came the plan to gain the power and throne. Macbeth had two choices. One was to go on the correct path while the other one was much shorter and the results were expected to be revealed soon. And this path was the path of evil. the plan was to kill king Duncan without any remorse(Act I, Scene V, ll.42-57). Lady Macbeth used her powers to gather the evil spirits that guided Macbeth to kill the King Duncan. In which he succeeded. This was another supernatural event that took Macbeth a step ahead on his disastrous fate. This killing forced him to clear out the other person, who suspected Macbeth of Duncan’s murder, Banquo. Macbeth hired a murderer to kill Banquo. But as soon as the murderer confirmed the news of the Banquo’s killing, Macbeth saw the ghost of Banquo that made him create a scene in a banquet, which carved more suspicion on him(Act III, Scene VI, ll.31-120). Here the apparitions and vision of the ghost made Macbeth so bedraggled that he almost lost his senses and started to blurt out what he shouldn’t have done. This made people point at him in suspicion.

Next the witches plan to make Macbeth over confident about his fate as he was heavily relying on the prophecies of the three witches (Act III, Scene V, ll.1-35). This plan of the witches was to take Macbeth towards his gruesome end. Macbeth greatly relying on the witches managed to find their cave and went there to find out what lies ahead for him in the future. this was the time of action for the witches. this is where the Macbeth’s blind trust has landed him. he is now in full control of the witches desires and evil powers and he has no power left in him to take decisions of his own.

The witches making use of their evil powers started showing him apparitions. The very first one was an armed head that said: “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware of Macduff; beware thane of Fife. Dismiss me: enough.” (Act VI, Scene I, ll.77-78). The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff. Then the second apparition appears (a bloody child), and says: “Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” (Act IV, Scene I, ll.85-87). This apparition informs Macbeth that no man born from a woman can harm him. Finally, the last apparition appears and is a child crowned, with a tree in his hand. The apparition is saying that he will never be defeated until Great Birnam wood shall come against him to High Duns inane Hill. “Be lion melted, proud, and take no care that chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam wood to High Duns inane Hill shall come against him.” (Act VI, Scene I, ll.98-102).

Now all these three apparitions were enough to make Macbeth over confident about his fate that eventually led him to his death. Death became his fate as was predicted by the witches in the very first prophecy. Thus, throughout the play it is very clearly shown by Shakespeare in the chain of prophecies and supernatural appearances that the fate of Macbeth was determined and predicted by the prophecies of witches and the supernatural appearances. The first prophecy made Macbeth have a blind trust on the evil powers rather than his own strengths and courage. Then the vision of Banquo’s ghost made him believe that just like witches, the ghost can also take his revenge that baffled him altogether in front of the whole hall. And the last key in his coffin were the apparitions in the cave that made him so over confident that he started thinking himself as immortal. And this overconfidence killed him.