The Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Supernatural in Macbeth Displays of supernatural activities were used throughout Macbeth, and evidence of this was brought out in the appearances of the three Witches. In Shakespeare's day, special effects were not used in his plays. Therefore, the dramatic performances and the suspenseful scenes were the fundamental qualities to making a great play. Shakespeare used the element of the unknown to evoke fear in the minds of his audience. By allowing the Witches to see into the future, it made Macbeth more suspenseful. With their prophecies about Macbeth?s future, they intrigue the audience to see if they are correct. The Witches were a symbol of evil, and Shakespeare uses this fear of the devil to give his plays an additional eerie and haunting effect. Shakespeare also used an evil character that can easily influence the main character in his stories, in this case, it was Lady Macbeth. It is essential that   Lady Macbeth and the three Witches create the plot of Macbeth. Without the Witches powers of forete lling the future and the evil persuasions of his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth would have never become king.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The expression "weird sisters", used from the 1400's, means "Fatal sisters". The word "weird" or in Old English Wyrd was a noun meaning Fate. In Act 1, Scene 3, The three Witches describe themselves as fore-tellers of   destiny, and they all introduce themselves to Macbeth and Banquo as "The weird sisters, hand in hand". The appearance that the three Witches possess is that of pure evil. In the starting of the scene, each of the three Witches describe their wickedness with a proud manner. For example, when they asked the Second Witch where she had been, she replied, "Killing swine". This statement shows how the Witches enjoyed being devilish. The impression that the audience gets of Witches is that they are hideously evil. In Shakespeare's time, witches were believed to have supernatural powers, they could transform themselves into other shapes, usually animals. When the First Witch describes where she had been, she referred to sailing across the sea in a sieve and tra nsforming into a rat without a tail, But in a sieve I'll thither sail, and like a rat without a tail, I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do?. Witches were also believed to   fortunetellers. The three Witches prophecies in Macbeth, foreshadow later events in the play.