supernatural essay plan macbeth

Supernatural in “Macbeth” Play by Shakespeare Essay

In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth , the supernatural plays a crucial part in inspiring Macbeth’s actions. Supernatural elements create dramatic tension, with the witches’ predictions in Scene 3 of Act 1 as a critical instigating incident. Macbeth’s desire to replace Duncan as Scotland’s monarch is driven by otherworldly forces. The presence of the supernatural encourages the protagonists to feel superior and arrogant. The supernaturally manufactured predictions lure Macbeth and Banquo with the idea of power, leading Macbeth to plot the cruel murder of Duncan. Macbeth believes that by murdering his close friend Banquo, he will finally be able to live up to the prophecy that he will become king. At an earlier gathering that night, he had a supernatural encounter with the ghost of a recently departed friend. The prophecies of the three witches inspire Macbeth’s desire to murder Banquo, but he digs himself into a deeper hole in the process. The play’s sense of mystery is enhanced by Macbeth’s use of the bizarre (Hibbs and Hibbs 275). The play’s supernatural aspects drive the plot and elevate its tragic elements by leading the protagonist further away from the passage of the typical hero.

Any supernatural effect on his choices, particularly those involving murder, is purely voluntary. It is only fair that he takes some responsibility for the many failures and catastrophes he is brought on by depending on them. On the other hand, without the supernatural, it is unlikely that Macbeth would even have the courage to consider such notions, much alone act on them. Macbeth begins his journey of murder when he tells Lady Macbeth about the witches. He recalled how “these Weird Sisters hailed me and pointed to the advent of time with ‘Hail, the king that shalt be,’” as he put it (Shakespeare). The influence of the supernatural on his wife, Lady Macbeth, drove him to murder King Duncan; had he not informed her about his vision, events could have turned out differently. Once he reveals to Lady Macbeth the divine prophesy he got, he loses all chance of returning to his former noble life. The supernatural plays a significant role in Macbeth’s universe.

In Scene 1 of Act IV, Macbeth returns to the Weird Sisters and demands to see visions of his future. Macbeth is warned of Macduff’s vengeance by a severed warrior’s head. In the second scene, a little boy, covered in blood, promises Macbeth that no man “of woman born” can kill him. Macbeth will not be beaten in battle, the young king swears, as long as Birnam wood is physically transported to Dunsinane. Upon learning of these impossibilities, Macbeth exclaims, “reign in this kingdom?” (Schojbert 1). The witches have Banquo leading a ghostly parade of imaginary kings. This only infuriates Macbeth more, and he goes so far as to admit to the audience that he wants to murder the whole Macduff family because of his pride.

In this play, the supernatural aspect is genuine or verifiable. Since both Macbeth and Banquo see the witches, their presence is confirmed. The supernatural aspect adds to the drama by validating and concretizing the hero’s internal struggles. Therefore, Macbeth’s witches represent the guilt deep within his psyche. However, the supernatural aspect does not exert an overbearing force, and the hero is never made helpless or absolved of responsibility for his actions. Although it is only suggestive, the hero is under no obligation to act upon it. The supernatural plays a vital role in accelerating the hero’s demise and elevating the tragedy within the play but ultimately teaches the weight of responsibility for personal actions.

Works Cited

Schojbert, Haley. The Supernatural, the Demonic, and Witchcraft in Early Modern English plays: Macbeth, the Witch, the Witch of Edmonton, and Doctor Faustus . 2020. The State University of New York at New Paltz, MA thesis.

Hibbs, Thomas, and Stacey Hibbs. “ Virtue, Natural Law, and Supernatural Solicitation: A Thomistic Reading of Shakespeare’s Macbeth .” Religion and the Arts, vol 5, no 3, 2001, pp. 273- 296, Web.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Wordsworth Classics, 1992.

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IvyPanda. (2024, January 9). Supernatural in "Macbeth" Play by Shakespeare. https://ivypanda.com/essays/supernatural-in-macbeth-play-by-shakespeare/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Supernatural in "Macbeth" Play by Shakespeare." January 9, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/supernatural-in-macbeth-play-by-shakespeare/.

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Macbeth: Essay Plan Examples

A* and Level 9 essays are always properly planned before they are written. But how should you plan a Macbeth Essay?

Here is a list of practise plans and notes that students have completed for a range of essays on Macbeth. Some are focused on ideas, and others on structuring. To get the best out of your plans, you should try to keep a balance between both of these.

Always plan a thesis before writing — this is your main argument, the main answer to the question that comes in the intro of your essay. The rest of the essay should then explore and argue on this thesis.

This page is suitable for students aged 14–18 (GCSE — A-Level), particularly those studying the following exam boards: CIE / Cambridge, AQA, OCR, WJEC / Eduqas, CCEA, Edexcel.

Thanks for reading! If you find this resource useful, you can take a look at our full online Macbeth course here . Use the code “SHAKESPEARE” to receive a 50% discount!

This course includes: 

• A full set of video lessons on each key element of the text: summary, themes, setting, characters, context, attitudes, analysis of key quotes, essay questions, essay examples
• Downloadable documents for each video lesson 
• A range of example B-A* / L7-L9 grade essays, both at GCSE (ages 14-16) and A-Level (age 16+) with teacher comments and mark scheme feedback
• A bonus Macbeth workbook designed to guide you through each scene of the play!

For more help with Macbeth and Tragedy, read our article here .

PRACTICE ESSAY 1:

Explore how Shakespeare discusses the theme of deception in Macbeth.

Trickery begets trickery — Macbeth deceives Duncan at the start, Banquo shortly after, he himself is deceived by the Witches > negative comment on deception.

Feudal system / divine right of kings vs New Politics / Machiavelli.

Deception creates temporary power, but the order of the world will be restored.

God ignores the castle — sinful behavior causes God to turn away.

Thesis: deception is evil and creates more evil and chaos, both for the individuals who deceive and the kingdom as a whole. For the human characters, it leads down a path to insanity, Shakespeare is drawing a parallel between deception and evil to show that it is ungodly and sinful.

P1 — Intro — Shakespeare discusses the theme of deception in Macbeth by exploring Macbeth’s insanity, showing the Macbeths covering their tracks and the temporary success with long term failure that deception brings.

P2 — Macbeth’s insanity — “oh full of scorpions is my mind”, “could not I pronounce Amen” “Is this a dagger I see before me”.

P3 — Showing the Macbeths covering their tracks — creates a climate of panic and paranoia — “I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal”.

P4 — demonstrates the religious messages of Macbeth — don’t commit sinful behavior.

P5 — demonstrates Shakespeare’s political beliefs — his faith in the Feudal system / his mistrust of New Politics.

PRACTISE ESSAY 2:

How does Shakespeare make this scene particularly terrifying?

500–600 Words essay.

5 Paragraphs:

• Intro — 50 words — Go over points quickly > thesis at the end
• Paragraph 1 (PEAL) — 165 words
• Paragraph 2 (PEAL) — 165 words
• Paragraph 3 (PEAL) — 165 words
• Conclusion — Recap strongest points quickly > Link back to the thesis

Paragraph plans

• Shakespeare makes this scene particularly terrifying by… (religion)
• Furthermore, the scene is particularly terrifying due to … (fear)
• Another way that Shakespeare has made this scene particularly terrifying is… (supernatural)

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE:

Point — 1 Sentence

Evidence — Quotation (no longer than 7 words).

Analysis — Identify techniques, language features, vocabulary, and dramatic devices ‘how / why’ something works in a certain way.

Evaluation — assessing the importance/significance of something.

Link — Link back to text and thesis.

Thesis: The significant turning point for Macbeth in the play as he realizes that he is unable to say amen and might be haunted due to his deed. Macbeth is a dynamic character, a tragic hero who undergoes a tragic fall, and this moment demonstrates the point at which his mind begins to disintegrate and he is abandoned by God, which would be very terrifying for a Shakespearean audience.

Top Level Mark Scheme:

• Answers in this band have all the qualities of Band 2 work, with further  insight, sensitivity, individuality, and flair.  They maintain a  sustained engagement  with both text and task.
• Sustains a perceptive, convincing and relevant personal response
• Shows a clear critical understanding of the text.
• Responds sensitively and in detail to the way the writer achieves her/his effects (sustaining a convincing voice in an empathic task).
• Integrates much well-selected reference to the text

‘Make’ > understand and discuss dramatic devices

‘Particularly’ > evaluation word

Thesis: ‘what we think/feel/realize’

Shakespeare makes this scene particularly terrifying through the implicit meanings in the text. He uses varying vocabulary and language features such as allegory and allusion, which are seen throughout the text, to create a frightening atmosphere. This mainly revolves around Macbeth, a dynamic character, whose insight to murder has changed. We realize that Macbeth is unable to cope with his past actions due to his current actions.

QUOTES/IDEAS:

“ Didst thou not hear a noise ?” — Macbeth builds tension/suspense, a small amount of fear, later layers up into terror.

“ The owl scream ” — Lady Macbeth, possible link to Duncan’s death, possible horror sound, ‘scream’ > personification.

“ As I descended ?” — Macbeth, descent downstairs, but also perhaps signifies hell/degeneration into evil + madness.

Disjoined / lack of connection between characters — Macbeth is jumpy. They disagree. Macbeth is empathetic towards Donalbain > ‘ sorry sight’, Lady Macbeth is cold and says he is ‘foolish’.

“ There’s one did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried ‘Murder !’,” > terrifying, because two random people woke up during Macbeth murdering Duncan, they have a premonition or some sort of awareness.

“ I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’/ Stuck in my throat. ” > he’s under the influence of evil, so God has abandoned him, he’s past the point of redemption, perhaps the turning point where he realizes he can’t go back, psychological?

“ It will make us mad ” > Lady Macbeth feels that the two of them will be mad if they dwell on their deeds in a negative way.

“ Macbeth does murder sleep ” > this is particularly terrifying as sleep also means rest and peace. Not only is Macbeth murdering sleep, but he is murdering rest and peace which he will not get as he will be haunted by the murder. ( personification )

“ Smear / The sleepy grooms with blood ” > the fact that they can pass the blame so easily and effectively is terrifying, what else can they pass the blame for if they can pass the blame for the murder.

“ Painted devil ” > the image of a dead body is likened to a painted devil seen by a child. They are just images that are feared.

“ Clean from my hand? No ” > No amount of water will be able to wash the blood off of Macbeth’s hands. He will never be able to forget about the blood on his hands, in a metaphorical sense.

“ Making the green one red ” > His hands will turn the sea red. That is the amount of blood which he bears.

Foreshadowing Lady Macbeth’s ‘out damned spot’:

“Out, damned spot! Out, I say! — One, two. Why, then, ’tis time to do ’t. Hell is murky! — Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? — Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” >  5.1, just before she commits suicide, a descent into madness — she sees spots of blood on her hands, paralleling Macebeth’s visions of blood.

Motif – recurring element of a story (lack of sleep/blood on hands).

ESSAY PLAN 3:

In what ways does Shakespeare make the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo so compelling?

P1 — Intro — Shakespeare makes the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo so compelling through the exploration of the themes of deception, death, and good versus evil. The discussion of such themes leads us, as the reader, to come to the conclusion that Macbeth is a sinister character who has somehow managed to befriend an honest, decent man, Banquo which leads to a relationship filled with tension.

P2- Deception- “I fear thou have played most foully for it” “fruitless crown” “I wish your horses swift and sure of foot”

P3 — death- “Banquo, thy soul’s flight…find heaven”  Enter the Ghost of Banquo and sits in Macbeth’s place  (stage directions)

P4 — good versus evil- juxtaposing of characters

Conclusion — strongest points again

ESSAY PLAN 4:

‘Macbeth is not an evil man, but one led astray by those around him’.

To what extent do you agree with this view?

You should write 500–600 words.

Thesis — I believe that Macbeth is an evil man and is responsible for his own actions. His sheer greed for power is what has led him astray and it was his choice to kill Duncan and have Banquo and Fleance as well as Macduff’s family killed. He has shown throughout the play that his greed, not those around him, has led him astray.

Paragraph 1: — Intro- include thesis and quick overview Paragraph 2: — Disagree paragraph Paragraph 3: — Disagree paragraph Paragraph 4: — Agree paragraph (counter) Paragraph 5: — Conclusion (quick overview of strongest points, thesis)

Point -main point

Evidence -quotation

Analysis -why/how does it relate to argument

Context -context to shakespearean times

Alternative interpretation -alternative view

Link -back to thesis

• Told by the witches that he will be king.
• Pressured by Lady Macbeth to kill Duncan.
• Witches tell him that Banquo’s descendants shall be king, incites Macbeth. Witches may have known that this would have riled Macbeth up.
• Witches told Macbeth he will be king so he could have waited until he became King the right way.
• Macbeth could have stood up to Lady Macbeth and told her no.
• Macbeth felt the need to have Banquo and Fleance killed, nobody pressured him to do so.
• Macbeth had Macduff’s family killed for no good reason.
• Macbeth acted on his own accord.

If you’re studying Macbeth, you can click here to buy our full online course. Use the code “SHAKESPEARE” to receive a 50% discount!

You will gain access to  over 8 hours  of  engaging video content , plus  downloadable PDF guides  for  Macbeth  that cover the following topics:

• Character analysis
• Plot summaries
• Deeper themes

There are also tiered levels of analysis that allow you to study up to  GCSE ,  A Level  and  University level .

You’ll find plenty of  top level example essays  that will help you to  write your own perfect ones!

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The Supernatural

The supernatural and the mind.

Macbeth sees a dagger and Banquo's ghost among other visions. These could be hallucinations or supernatural forces at work.

• Macbeth has visions throughout the play, such as the dagger before he kills King Duncan, ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me’ (2,1).
• These could be psychological (of the mind) or they could be premonitions (feelings that something bad is going to happen) and Macbeth is experiencing the supernatural.
• Because he has interacted with the witches, the audience might think that he has made himself vulnerable to evil.

Banquo's ghost

• We could argue that this hallucination is a symptom of Macbeth’s mind becoming more and more unbalanced because of the guilt he feels, as well as the overwhelming amount of power he suddenly has.

The Supernatural and Evil

It is important to remember the context of the play for this theme: King James I believed in witches. He thought they were evil and could harm people.

Role and significance of the witches

• The witches are the first characters the audience see in the play. This shows that they are very significant for what is to come.
• They manipulate (control to their advantage) Macbeth to show the evil within himself.

Lady Macbeth and the supernatural

• Lady Macbeth calls on spirits too. She does this like the witches themselves: ‘Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here’ (1,5).
• She uses imperative language ( ‘come’ and ‘unsex’ ) which suggests that she thinks she has control over them. This labels her as an evil character who wants supernatural beings to help her.
• We don’t know whether this is something she has done before or whether the opportunity to take the crown has made her want to try to contact them. But it could just be words. Perhaps she is simply showing how far she is prepared to go.

Cause bad events

• Macbeth and Lady Macbeth only hatch the plan to kill King Duncan because the witches tell Macbeth that he will be the king one day – we could argue that, without the witches, none of the events of the play would have happened.

1 Literary & Cultural Context

1.1 Context

1.1.1 Tragedy

1.1.2 The Supernatural & Gender

1.1.3 Politics & Monarchy

1.1.4 End of Topic Test - Context

2 Plot Summary

2.1.1 Scenes 1 & 2

2.1.2 Scene 3

2.1.3 Scenes 4-5

2.1.4 Scenes 6-7

2.1.5 End of Topic Test - Act 1

2.2 Acts 2-4

2.2.1 Act 2

2.2.2 Act 3

2.2.3 Act 4

2.3.1 Scenes 1-3

2.3.2 Scenes 4-9

2.3.3 End of Topic Test - Acts 2-5

3 Characters

3.1 Macbeth

3.1.1 Hero vs Villain

3.1.2 Ambition & Fate

3.1.3 Relationship

3.1.4 Unstable

3.1.5 End of Topic Test - Macbeth

3.2 Lady Macbeth

3.2.1 Masculine & Ruthless

3.2.2 Manipulative & Disturbed

3.3 Other Characters

3.3.1 Banquo

3.3.2 The Witches

3.3.3 Exam-Style Questions - The Witches

3.3.4 King Duncan

3.3.5 Macduff

3.3.6 End of Topic Test - Lady Macbeth & Banquo

3.3.7 End of Topic Test - Witches, Duncan & Macduff

3.4 Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.4.1 Grade 9 - Lady Macbeth Questions

4.1.1 Power & Ambition

4.1.2 Power & Ambition HyperLearning

4.1.3 Violence

4.1.4 The Supernatural

4.1.5 Masculinity

4.1.6 Armour, Kingship & The Natural Order

4.1.7 Appearances & Deception

4.1.8 Madness & Blood

4.1.9 Women, Children & Sleep

4.1.10 End of Topic Test - Themes

4.1.11 End of Topic Test - Themes 2

4.2 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.1 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.2 Extract Analysis

5 Writer's Techniques

5.1 Structure, Meter & Other Literary Techniques

5.1.1 Structure, Meter & Dramatic Irony

5.1.2 Pathetic Fallacy & Symbolism

5.1.3 End of Topic Test - Writer's Techniques

Jump to other topics

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Masculinity

Theme: The Supernatural

The Supernatural plays a significant role in ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare. It is depicted in various forms influencing the actions of several main characters, stimulating the plot and reinforcing the dominant themes of the play.

Manifestation

• Witches : The play opens with the three witches ; an embodiment of the supernatural. They offer prophesies that ignite Macbeth’s ambition and entice him along a dangerous path.
• Ghost and Apparitions : The appearance of Banquo’s ghost and the apparitions shown by the witches further illustrate the theme of the supernatural.

Role and Influence

• Prophesies : The witches’ prophesies function as stepping stones to Macbeth’s ambition, enticing him towards the throne and ultimately, his downfall.
• Guilt & Fear : The supernatural enhances characters’ guilt and fear. The appearance of the dagger spectral vision and Banquo’s ghost intensify Macbeth’s guilt and fear, driving his murderous actions.

Psychoanalysis of Macbeth

• Supernatural vs Reality : Macbeth’s interaction with the supernatural can reflect his mental instability. The spectacle of the dagger and Banquo’s ghost can be seen as delusional episodes indicating Macbeth’s psychological deterioration .

The Supernatural and the Themes of the Play

• Fate and Free Will : The witches’ prophesies question the balance between fate and free will . Although they predict Macbeth’s future, it is his free will that drives his actions.
• Moral Corruption and Ambition : The supernatural often presents itself after acts of moral corruption, suggesting its role as a reminder and symbol of Macbeth’s overwhelming ambition and moral downfall.
• Witches : The witches represent dark and destructive forces in nature. They symbolise the evil that can stem from unchecked ambitions.
• Apparitions : The three apparitions that the witches conjure act as symbols of deception , misleading Macbeth into a false sense of security.

Relation to Setting

• Nature vs Unnatural : The theme of the supernatural disrupts the established natural world in the play. This contrast illustrates the unnaturalness of Macbeth’s regicidal act.
• Darkness and Night : Darkness and night, traditionally suggestive of evil and the supernatural, act as the backdrop of the majority of the play. This setting enhances the foreboding atmosphere and the uncanny events that take place.

Mr Salles Teaches English

The Role of the Supernatural in Macbeth

(my prediction is this is 50% likely to be the 2023 question).

This is a student essay which I have lightly edited to make sure it is Grade 9. It is the same student who wrote about kingship in yesterday’s post. She’s busy revising in the best way - writing essays.

I’ve had many new paid subscribers since my last video on Easter revision, so this is an extra thank you.

How to Revise So That You Can Reproduce This Essay In the Exam in Your Own Words

Take notes. Write your own version from the notes.

Check to see if you have missed any ideas, key vocabulary and quotes. Add these to your notes.

Put the essay and notes aside for 3 - 7 days.

Write the notes again from memory. Check to see what you have missed. Put these aside for another 3 - 7 days.

Write the essay again from memory (without looking at your notes). If you are not happy with it:

Repeat steps 2, 3 and 5.

Whilst the supernatural can be deemed as largely influential in Macbeth's downfall, the " weird sisters' " ambiguity throughout the play, as well as their struggle for power in a patriarchal society, suggest Shakespeare may not have only implemented the supernatural in his play to appease King James I who was his patron. Shakespeare was more interested in the psychology of the characters; the supernatural were simply a symbol of temptation that Macbeth was consumed by. 

Shakespeare introduces the witches in the very first scene of the play which gives them large structural significance. They chant “Fair is foul and foul is fair” . This paradoxical chiasmus is a logical inconsistency that introduces the play's strong underlying theme of corruption and the supernatural. The witches speak in trochaic tetrameter which is distinguishes them from the other characters who typically speak in iambic pentameter. This would unsettle a Jacobean audience who were largely scared of the supernatural. King James was especially interested in it - shown by his book Daemonologie and the witch hunts he organised. The weird sisters continue to use equivocation, declaring “ when the battle’s lost and won”, unsettling the audience with its ambiguity by flipping the conventional order of “won” first. This alludes to the idea of Macbeth’s downfall coming first. 

However, Shakespeare could be diminishing the influence of the witches in the events of the play as they speak in an almost childlike manner due to their short sentences, simple rhymes and choral speech, as if they were children playing a game. This undermines their credibility as it shows the audience their game does not have any real power; they only serve as a mirror for the recognition of each character's true self. 

Shakespeare demonstrates how temptation and the supernatural invokes an irreversible change in character, subverting the audience’s expectations as he implies that a person’s poor qualities are amplified by the crown and supernatural. Macbeth becomes paranoid, but the weird sisters simply reveal his true self, as a killer.

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Supernatural

Arguably, the entire play rests on how you think that shakespeare is presenting the role of the supernatural. if the witches simply awaken macbeth's own ambition then their role is really quite limited. if, however, you take them as being real, magical witches - which you have to do really (their titles are, after all, "witch 1," "witch 2" and "witch 2") - then it's not unreasonable to assume that there is real magic involved in the play. and since one of the things that witches were supposed to be able to do is control men's behaviour, the play suddenly looks very different., the most important thing to remember when you're looking at any piece of literature is that you have to stay focused on the text and use the evidence you find there. as i've said before, of course there is a case for saying that macbeth was ambitious already and that all the witches did was awaken his won ambition. however, for me, there's a much stronger case for saying that shakespeare intended for the supernatural to have a much larger role....

The Sailor's Wife and the Chestnuts

During the opening of act 1 scene 3, the witches meet and discuss a recent incident: a sailor's wife refused to give one of them chestnuts, and so the witch travelled to the sailor and cast a spell which drained him of his energy but take away his ability to sleep. he would "dwindle" - which means to get weak - "peak" - which is going through fits of high energy - and "pine" - which is to long for something. finally, although she couldn't take away his "bark" she would create violent storms that would make him "tempest tossed.", this scene is generally removed from plays because it breaks up the flow of the opening, and besides an article from the british library describes is like this: shakespeare uses this passage, then, to demonstrate the witches’ vindictive nature, leaving the audience in no doubt as to their connection with the powers of evil ., given that this passage is really only there to show that the witches are horrible it's no surprise that it gets cut out so regularly. but what if the british library is wrong and this is one of the most significant sequences in the play, my argument:, in any play featuring magical characters, you need a moment of exposition to explain what the characters are capable of. before you've seen a star wars film you need some kind of explanation of the rules of the force so you can understand what a jedi can do. the same is true here: we don't know what kind of magic the witches are capable of, so shakespeare has this scene which explains what magic powers they have., my argument is simply this: if, at the beginning of a play, a group of magical character reveal what powers they have and then the rest of the play is someone going through exactly the same experience, then it's reasonable to assume that there is a connection. in short: this scene is simply the witches revealing what they are about to do to macbeth; and if that's the case then the storyline of the whole play is completely different. below you'll find the original speech describing what they did to the sailor next to how it happened to macbeth:, i will drain him dry as hay: - macbeth was constantly tired and drained, sleep shall neither night nor day, hang upon his pent-house lid; - macbeth loses the abilit y to sleep, he shall live a man forbid: - he is denied the things he reall y wants, weary se'nnights nine times nine, shall he dwindle, peak and pine: - i'm not sure how long macbeth's reign was, but he did "dwindle, peak and pine" quite a lot, though his bark cannot be lost,, yet it shall be tempest-tost. - by the end he was still shouting and screaming (his bark wasn't lost) but he had certainly been through an emotional storm, what's also essential to take away from this is that the witches are able to control other people's actions and feelings. they're not just viewers in this story; they have agency and that's essential for our understanding of the rest of the play., one of the most important parts of the witch's speech is when she clarifies that she stops the sailor being able to sleep, because this is something that happens to macbeth later in the play. often revision sites suggest that macbeth couldn't sleep because of a feeling of guilt but this doesn't really make sense, for two reasons:, firstly, the witches make it very clear that they can stop someone from sleeping and it would seem strange to have that clarified as a part of their magical tool-box, and have it happen later in the play, unless there was going to be a connection. if it was guilt that meant macbeth couldn't sleep, we really would have to assume that the witch's speech was a piece of misinformation from shakespeare, which would make no sense at all., and secondly, just after macbeth has killed duncan he doesn't just lose the ability to sleep. he finds his wife and says "methought i heard a voice cry 'sleep no more, macbeth hath murdered sleep.'" he then goes on to repeat variations on that line, but always confirming that he heard someone else say it - and shakespeare even puts the lines in speech marks ., so macbeth, having killed duncan, hears someone else say that he has murdered sleep. now you could argue that this is just him going a bit mad, but when it's combined with the understanding that this is something the witches could do it makes much more sense to argue that it was the witch's magic spell that made this happen., the most important line in the play, i've got two nominations here, though both come in the same scene., the first is macbeth's first line in the play:, so fair and foul a day i have not seen., this line paraphrases (which is an almost exact quote) the witches opening lines. so macbeth's first line in the play almost directly quotes a key line from the witches. surely this was designed to deliberately setup the idea that the witches are already in control of him i've read revision websites before that have argued that this just implies that macbeth, like the witches, is a bit evil - but he's almost quoting them surely this suggests more than just a connection, it's a control., the second one is more complex:, w hy do i yield to that suggestion, whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, and make my seated heart knock at my ribs,, against the use of nature, in a nutshell, this means: why i am i giving in to something that makes my hair stand up in horror, and my heart start to race in an uncomfortable way - and which is, most importantly: against my very nature., so, in this short speech he says that the idea of killing duncan makes him so scared that his heart races, and is against his very nature - the most fundamental part of who he is. so he's basically saying why is he starting to want to do this thing, but the key words in the speech are "yield" and "suggestion." and the fundamental question is: can you "yield" to a "suggestion" that has come from yourself, it's worth just clarifying what these words mean:, yield : to give way to arguments, demands, or pressure., suggestion : an idea or plan put forward for consideration., so: can you "give way to an argument, demand or pressure" and agree to "an idea or plan put forward for consideration" if that plan was your own, surely you can only "give in" to an "idea" that has come from someone else... and if that's the case then the idea of killing duncan didn't come from macbeth - it came from the witches., and if that's the case, then the entire play takes on a completely different meaning., was lady macbeth a witch, some people tend to find this one really obvious, other people think it's far more debatable. for myself, i think so much of her character arc is missing that i struggle to formulate a complete opinion about her. there's enough evidence of her being a witch in her opening scene to say that she's certainly established as one, but then shakespeare seems to do so little with it that i'm not sure what to think. it is worth picking up on a few key things:, come you spirits - if you watch a star wars movie and someone comes on screen dressed in a long robe and carrying a lightsaber then it's reasonable to assume they're a jedi. if almost the first thing someone does on-stage is cast a magic spell, during a play that features witches in prominent roles, then it's reasonable to assume that she's a witch. if she's not supposed to be one, then i really have no idea what shakespeare thought he was doing have her cast a magic spell straight away., hereafter - king that shalt be - hereafter - when lady macbeth comes on stage she's reading a letter from her husband, which tells her about his encounter with the witches. but: the letter misquotes the witches. macbeth says that they called him "king that shalt be" when they really said "all hail macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter." this doesn't seem like a big deal except that when his wife meets him, she says "greater than both by the all hail hereafter." so she uses the "hail" and the "hereafter" that the witches used, even though macbeth got the quote wrong., beyond that, though, there's no real references to her being a witch or casting any magic spells at all, except perhaps one..., when she performs her original magic spell she asks that the spirits " stop up the passage to remorse " which means that the spell stops her feeling any guilt. in a3 s5 hecate, the queen of witches, becomes angry at what the witches have done and demands that they bring an end to the whole thing. just after this, we see lady macbeth and she's sleepwalking and consumed by guilt. is it possible that hecate cancelled out the magic spell that had been cast earlier on, which would have meant that lady macbeth felt her guilt all of a sudden this is possible, and it's probably the best explanation for her character flip that i've ever heard though it's still pretty thin..., seyton... or is it a coincidence, at the end of the play, macbeth does something unusual: he gives one of his servants a name. there are a number of other messengers or gentlewomen in the play - even a doctor - but they never get names., but then, for no reason, at the end of the play he calls out "seyton." now, bearing in mind that macbeth was meant to be seen and not read, it seems really strange to give a character a name that rhymes with satan, in a play about witchcraft, if that character isn't going to actually be satan., it's also doubly interesting as he says the name three times before seyton appears - twice in quick succession, and then suddenly he appears. the idea of saying someone's name three times before they appear is a reasonably classic trope, and here it is with satan., seyton --i am sick at heart,, when i behold-- seyton , i say--this push, will cheer me ever, or disseat me now., i have lived long enough: my way of life, is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf;, and that which should accompany old age,, as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,, i must not look to have; but, in their stead,, curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath,, which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not. seyton , enter seyton, given the nature of the play and its focus on witchcraft - and the fact that a few scenes earlier we'd seen the arrival of hecate, the queen of witches - it doesn't seem unreasonable that this is actually satan who's arrived., other than ranking up the supernatural elements in the play, this doesn't really have a massive impact on the play except in one key possible area., look over this section from a5 s5:.

A cry of women within

What is that noise?

It is the cry of women, my good lord.

Re-enter SEYTON

Wherefore was that cry?

The queen, my lord, is dead.

So it is Seyton who discovers the Queen's body - or, possibly, was it him or his minions who killed her?

The most common understanding is that Lady Macbeth killed herself, but bear in mind that we only assumed she did because Malcolm's says that Macbeth's "fiend-like queen, / Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands / Took off her life."

So basically, it could well be that Lady Macbeth killed herself, but I'd bet there were people who left the theatre thinking that Seyton / Satan had something to do with it...

Super Stretch: Extract from the British Library

The following is an extract from an article that's been published on the british library's website, you can find the whole thing here: https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/manhood-and-the-milk-of-human-kindness-in-macbeth, the article looks at the role of masculinity in macbeth, but takes a very different slant to my interpretation. during this extract, the author argues that the witches have no real power over macbeth but only ignite his own passion. i've colour coded it and responded to his argument below. crucially though, i'd argue (without meaning to offend the author) that this passage - which is written by a very well respected professor - is entirely reliant on some quite astonishing assumptions, none of which are actually backed up by any evidence from the play., it's an interesting read as it gives some clues as to how we've come to the place we have:, it’s important to stress that macbeth’s fate is not dictated by the witches. none of the malign spells cast by the bearded handmaids of hecat, as they dance round their bubbling cauldron with its gruesome ingredients, has any power over macbeth. the weird sisters ‘can look into the seeds of time’ (1.3.58) and foretell his future in deceitful language, whose full meaning emerges only in retrospect. but they can’t compel macbeth to do anything., this section stresses that the witches have no powers over macbeth. it says they can't compel him to do anything, but then - really - if you read it, it just repeats this statement without actually referencing the text in any meaningful way. it seems like the author just ignores the power the witches had over the sailor, and ignores the fact that macbeth enters the stage almost repeating what the witches have previously said. this kind of academic writing is designed to sound clever, but it's not actually dealing with the text. you could almost say it was an example of confuscation, which is something that's made deliberately confusing, often to hide the fact that it has nothing to say., shakespeare makes that clear from the outset, when the grim trio greets macbeth with titles he has yet to acquire, and banquo sees him ‘start, and seem to fear / things that do sound so fair’, and then become strangely ‘rapt withal’ (1.3.51–2, 57). before the scene is over, macbeth’s first soliloquy leaves us in no doubt that what has startled and struck fear into him is the witches’ open voicing of the ‘black and deep desires’ (1.4.51) already brewing secretly in his heart., my ears perked up at this bit as i hoped that he would provide some evidence - he says that shakespeare makes it clear that the witches have no power. but then you read it and there's nothing there - again the fact that macbeth seemed to "fear" what the witches said, or that he then fell into a "rapt" state does not mean that the witches had no control over macbeth and where he claims "leaves us in no doubt that" i can say categorically that i had serious doubts about this interpretation. in fact, he references a soliloquy from a1 s3 but then uses a quote from the next scene, like the spirits that lady macbeth commands in the next scene to ‘unsex’ her and purge her of compassion, the witches ‘tend on mortal thoughts’ (1.5.41; my emphasis): they serve the evil thoughts they find in mortal minds, they don’t plant them there., here, he's using a quote from lady macbeth who says that the spirits she calls only "tend" on mortal thoughts, which suggests that they don't control them, they just look after them - in the way we might tend a garden or a loved one. but this is lady macbeth and not the witches, so the fact that lady macbeth has no real power over someone's behaviour says nothing about the witches. also, the use of the "like" conjunction at the beginning suggests that there will be some connection between the thoughts presented, but lady macbeth asks for the spirits to "unsex" her and take away her compassion, both of which are them doing something, not simply responding to the "evil thoughts they find in mortal minds.", and that's the end of his argument., but if i look back over his argument i see someone making a very broad statement about the play: the witches have no control over macbeth; and then backing it up with very limited evidence, that ignores significant portions of the plot, and just 'sounds' good as he uses long words and complex sentences., the fact is that if you introduce the supernatural elements of the play to the degree that they can actually control macbeth's behaviour, you end up with a play about the effects of witchcraft, which just isn't that interesting to an audience four hundred years later. i think a lot of people are working very hard to make macbeth seem infinitely more interesting and complex than it actually is..

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Supernatural Powers in The Play "Macbeth" by William Shakespear

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Macbeth - Supernatural

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

12 August 2023

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AQA - GCSE - English Literature

Essay plan on the presentation of the Supernatural in Macbeth.

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