|  |
 |
SUPERNATURAL CHARACTERS IN MACBETH
The supernatural plays a big part in the play Macbeth. There are several Supernatural
characters that dramatically alter the course of Macbeth's life. They pretend to offer insight, and
their extraordinary powers to aid Macbeth. The three witches, The ghost of Banqo, Hecate and
Lady Macbeth are the Supernatural characters in the play Macbeth. These characters are a key
element to Macbeth's downfall.
THE
WITCHES
The three witches (the weird sisters) play the biggest role of supernatural in the play. They were
given supernatural powers by the devil. They foretell the future (tempt and influence). The witches
provide the initial atmosphere and establish the background of evil. They talk in sets of threes, It
was believed that witches talked in sets of threes because the number had magic proberties and
supernatural power. The first encounter with the witches is Act 1, Scene 1. They appear in thunder
and lightning (they always do). The witches first encounter with Macbeth is in Act 1, Scene 3.
They tell Macbeth prophecies. They tell him he will be king. When Macbeth murders Duncan the
witches have not made him do it. They do not incite Macbeth to crime, the blame is not on them.
Macbeth choices his own fate. They only help develop the evil already in his own heart. But the
witches do know Macbeth's inmost, murderous thoughts. So they know he will be capable of evil.
Although they are not charismatic in anyway, they use their secretive knowledge and mysterious
nature to explode him.
BANQUO'S GHOST
Ordinary Macbeth and Banquo were commanders of the scottish army, and good friends. Till
the encounter with the witches when the prophecies are revealed. Macbeth and Banquo's
ambitions begin to clash as time progresses. Macbeth does not want Banquo's prophecy to come
true and therefor orders Banquo and his children to be killed. When Macbeth is at his banquet, he
goes to sit down at his table and he sees Banquo's ghost sitting in his sit. This scares him, he
Things Banquo's ghost is haunting him. Macbeth's quilt and fear drive him to do more evil to
cover up his misdeeds, which digs him into a deeper hole. He is angry that Banquo's ghost has
come to haunt him and has revealed himself to Macbeth. He feels quilt which forces him to say
"Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger; Take
any shape but that , and my firm nerves Shall never tremble." He thinks he can take on a tiger, a
rhino or any wild animal, but he could not take on Banquo's ghost. After this Macbeth goes to
see the witches they boost up
his confidence again and he fears nothing.
HECATE
spoken to Macbeth. Hecate returns in Act 4 Scene 1, when they show Macbeth the apparitions.
She is pleased with the witches in this Scene, for the trouble they have gone through. She takes
Some believe
that Lady Macbeth is the forth witch. L.Macbeth had the same influence
on
Macbeth as the witches did. She also leads to Macbeth's downfall. She is the one who convinces
Macbeth to kill Duncan. She does not listen to Macbeth's doubts and hesitations. In her speech in
Act 1 Scene 5 she calls to the dark side to take away all that makes her a women. "Under my
battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here, And fill me from
the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood..." She wants to have the
power to have no conscience and do evil. In the end Lady Macbeth becomes obsessed with the
killing of Duncan. She repeatedly washes her hands in her sleep trying to wash the blood off her.
And she has nightmares about
the murder. She finally kills herself.
|
| |
|