Discuss the Supernatural in Macbeth.

Summary:   We can conclude that there are five important eventsshowing the

supernatural elements in Macbeth. Namely, the witches, the air-drawn dagger, the
unnatural happenings, the ghost of Banquo and the apparitions.

According to the Oxford Advanced Learner dictionary, 'supernatural' refers to things that

cannot be explained by natural or physical laws. The presence of supernatural forces in
"Macbeth," provides for much of the play's dramatic tension and the mounting suspense. In
this paper we shall look at some of supernatural elements in the play.

We'll first talk about the witches. Thunder occurs every time whenthe witches show up. In
Act I sence i, it indicates the theme of discorder. When the witches enter, there is stormy
weather. The storm attends the three witches when they are gather to express their
exploits. They cast a spell that they are going to meet Macbeth. "There to meet with
Macbeth." Also, thunder occurs at Act I scene iii, Act III scene iv and Act IV secne i.

In Act I secne iii, the appearance of the witches is supernatural. " You should be woman.
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so." Witches shows us what their
unnatural looks are like. They amaze Banquo when he first sees them. He wonders about
their appearance. Banquo's description of the witchesis important in seeing how unnatural
they are. Their facial hair questions the definition ofGender who look like should be human.
But in them the human form is unnaturally distorted. The witches are not existing in nature
and we cannot explain them according to natural laws in our world.

Also in Act I secne iii, The main plot line of the play is established when the three witches
make their first appearance with Macbeth and Banquo. They are objective that both
Macbeth and Banquo can see the witches and even talk with them. It reveals that the
witches are real instead of being a product of the imagination of Macbeth.

The witches have supernatural power is not difficult to find in Macbeth. The use of the
supernatural occurs at the beginning ofthe play, with three witches predicting the fate of
Macbeth. In Act I scene i, nature is out of order. "Fair is foul and foul is fair." According
to the witches, it means good is bad and bad is good. It indicates that the witches are
violating God's natural order because it is against our normal understanding of the
words. The witchesare evil in stead of being friends of humans.

This gives the audience a clue to what the future holds for Macbeth. "When the battle's lost
and won" (also in Act I scene i) was said by the second witch. It says that every battle is
lost by one side and won by another. Macbeth's fate is that he will win the battle. However,
he will lose his time of victory for the battle of his soul.

Another example is strong enough to indicate that the witcheshave supernatural power. In

Act I scene iii, when the first witch mentions she is refused by the sailor's wife, she is so
angry that she wants to take revenge.

"I myself have all the other (winds),

And the very ports they blow,

All the quarters that they know

I'm the shipman's card.

I will drain him dry as hay:

Sleep shall neither night nor day

Hang upon his pent-house lid:

He shall live a man forbid:

Weary se'nnights nine times nine

Shall he dwindle, peak and pine."

The punishment of the witches of human beings indicates that they have the
supernatural power to control nature. The revenge stirs up the witches to enforce their
power over nature that is to send the sailor to the sea. Human beings could just follow
nature. It comes to the case that the witches are above the nature that they could
manipulate it to achieve what they want. It seems that the witches are unnatural. They
have the supernatural power to control the world.

In Act III scene v, Hecate is the queen of the witches who is angry with the three sisters for
not involving her in their encounters with Macbeth. The witches plan to lead Macbeth to his
downfall by making him feel over-confident. Further on in the play, Macbeth finds his way
to the witches' cave and demands to know what lies ahead for him and ask for their help.
They call on the apparitions to speak to Macbeth. The supernatural atmosphere is charged
with evil. The witches spells are particularly nauseating in the level of detail with where they
are depicted. Also they always vanish as abruptly as they come. " Sits in a foggy cloud, and
stays for me."What they act are supernatural instead of human.

In Act IV scene i, the witches and Hecate reappear. It is powerful enough to prove the

supernatural presence in the play. As in Act I scene iii, the witches predict that Macbeth will
be the king of Soctland. It leaves a strong influence of changing the personality of Macbeth
who used to be loyal to his King, Duncan. Theirpredictions cause a shift in Macbeth's
behavior and sthengthens his ambition to take the throne by murdering Duncan. All
theirpredictions come true at the end of the play.

Then, we shall take a look at the air-drawn dagger. On the night of Duncan's murder, after
Banquo and Macbeth discuss the witches' prophecies, Macbeth is left alone by Banquo, and
then all of a sudden he has a vision of a dagger floating in the air before him. The handle of
the dagger was pointing toward his hand and its tip aiming toward Duncan's room. Macbeth
tries to grasp the weapon but fails. He wonders whether what he sees is real or a "dagger of
the mind, it is created by fatal vision, to feeling as to sight, false creation or proceeding
from the heat-oppressed brain" (II.i.37-39). On one hand, he imagines that the dagger is
leading him towards Duncan's room and on the other he awaits the bell to be rung by his
wife, Lady Macbeth. The bell was a signal of her completion of the preparation for Duncan's
death. The dagger drives Macbeth's ambition over his mind and exits to kill Duncan in the
next scene.

We can expose that Macbeth has a strong imagination. The air-dagger is a kind of optical
illusion and is well known that is created under his feverish condition which isn't directly
stimulated by the optic nerve. The air-drawn dagger is created by Macbeth's internal
conflict, his ambition and guilt of killing Duncan. The supernatural of the air-dagger shows
the terrible effects that ambition and guilt can have on a man who lacks strength of
character. Macbeth's weak and indecisive personality is reinforced by the illusion of the
dagger. Moreover, Macbeth is described as an evil man in the play, but when he is
imagining a floating dagger, he asks himself is the dagger there or not? Is it a physical
representation of his guilt about his murderous intentions toward Duncan? It implied that he
has self-doubts because of his evil desire. Macbeth has not yet decided up until the very
night of the murder about whether or not he should kill Duncan. This scene shows
that Macbeth is developed as a tragic hero; basically, he can be a good man without the
witches' prophecies and Lady Macbeth's support.

As a result of Macbeth internal conflict, there is a fissure between appearance and reality as

Macbeth imagines that he sees a dagger floating in the air in front of him. Previously,
Macbeth was responsible for creating the disparity between illusion and reality: he put on a
"false face" to hide his ambitions when Banquo mentions the witches. Now, a shift has
occurred and Macbeth is the victim of disparity between illusion and reality. He cannot
distinguish between the two. This is relevant to the overall theme of appearance and reality.

The invisible dagger is created by Macbeth, which focuses on a point in space of emptiness
but which is visible to the audience. The reason for the air-dagger in the play is to develop
tension and a dangerous atmosphere. Macbeth cannot decide whether to commit a murder
or not. Once the air-dagger appears, Macbeth's ambition takes control of his mind; his
internal conflict is pushed to the highest point. In consequence, he killed Duncan under the
extreme tension. The atmosphere created is based on the attraction of evil and the power of
darkness, which in turn, leads to destruction. The vision of evil and disorder horrifies
Macbeth but does not stop him from his course of murdering Duncan.

Besides, the unnatural happenings are also one of the supernatural elements in Macbeth. As
what the doctor in Act V scene i said, 'Unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles'. This
line is in fact closely linked to the theme of supernatural happenings in the play. Throughout
Act II, we can see the disruption of the natural world as a result of the corrupting nature of
Macbeth's ambition. The owl screams and the crickets cry, the sun is obscured, the owls kill
the falcons, and Duncan's horses eat each other. All these unnatural happenings are
showing that the natural order is destroyed. Macbeth's murder can be seen as an unnatural
deed which brings numerous unnatural troubles.

In Act II scene ii, Lady Macbeth waits anxiously for Macbeth to return from killing Duncan.
When Macbeth enters the scene, Lady Macbeth says that she "heard the owl scream and the
crickets cry." This line echoes back to the previous line made by Lady Macbeth in the same
scene -- "It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, which gives the stern'st good-
night." The murder that Macbeth is committing which leaps over Duncan is in fact going
against the rules of nature, because the legitimate king is being killed, and when this
happens, animals erupt. Here, the owl is like a fatal bellman because, according to
superstition, the owls represent death. It seems that the owl can see the deed, while the
people around Duncan cannot. So when the owls screamed and the crickets cried, it
symbolizes evil doings.

In Act II Scene iii, nature is troubled when Macbeth performs his bloody acts. Lennox tells
that "the night has been unruly", houses and chimneys are being destroyed by fierce winds,
and everything is filled with "dire combustion." The weather seemed to change while the
murder of Duncan takes place. The ill winds are like God being upset with the situation with
the murder of the rightful king. It is ironic that Lennox says these things about the weather
right before the murder is discovered. The audience can easily consider the two events to be
connected, which again echoes back to the line "unnatural deeds do breed unnatural
troubles."

In Act II Scene iv there are a lot of comments on the confusion on the night of the murder.
Ross and an Old Man talk exchange accounts of the disturbed night and the recent
unnatural happenings that mirror Duncan's murder. By that time it is probably morning but
the darkness of the night may have loomed into the morning hours. It seems that the night
has become more powerful than the day which suggests that the heavens can see what
men are doing on earth and it darkens in the morning because it is ashamed to look on the
deed that has been committed.

Also, a falcon was killed by an owl, whose normal prey is a mouse. This is suggesting that
the food chain has been unnaturally turned around, as a small mousing owl was reported
killing a larger falcon. In this reference, the falcon represents Duncan, and the owl
represents Macbeth. Somebody with a lower ranking than Duncan is taking his place. These
unnatural events of the disordered food chain mirror the things taking place in the castle. It
explains how Macbeth killed the defenseless Duncan, and how it was an unnatural thing to
occur. The owl usually hunts mice, but on this occasion it hunted something far more
powerful even than itself. In the same way, the murder is also of an unnatural nature, as
Duncan, who is a lawful king, is killed by Macbeth, whose rank was well below this.

Besides, Duncan's horses, which belong to a good breed, are seen turning wild in nature, as
they broke their stalls, and were said to have eaten each other. Bizarre events occur the
night Duncan was murdered. This, again, can be seen as the animal world's protest to the
unnaturalness of the murder.

These unnatural events told in Act II are all objective as they are witnessed by a number of
people like Lennox, Ross and the old man, and they all take place at night, which is a
symbolic reference to the evil doings of men. There is a sense of fear, and mystery created.
An atmosphere of death is symbolized by the darkness. Also, the wild and omen-filled night
conveys a sense of insecurity to the audience. While Duncan and the people around him are
still ignorant about the planned murder and his own death, the animal's unnatural behaviors
and the dark sky prepare audience to feel insecure for Duncan.
Also, we can have a glimpse of Duncan's character from these unnatural happenings. The
misbehaviors of the animals and nature also suggests that Duncan is such a good king that
when he dies, the animals and the heavens are feeling so uneasy about it that they can't
behave naturally.

This scene indicates to the audience that anything which goes against the natural order of
things can be associated with disasters, just like having darkness during the daytime and
the horses attacking each other. This reinforces the idea that Macbeth is an unnatural and
unholy monarch who, after becoming a king, brings enormous troubles not only to the
country, but also to the natural world.

Next, the ghost of Banquo is also against the order of nature. In Act III scene iv, Macbeth
welcomes various guests to his banquet. The first murderer appears and Macbeth steps
aside to speak with him. The murder tells him that Banquo is dead, but Fleance, Banquo's
son, escaped. This news disturbs him. He returns to the feast and is gently blamed by his
wife for his absence. As he stands up, making a speech praising Banquo, then Banquo's
ghost appears and takes Macbeth's chair. Only Macbeth can see the ghost and he is
terrified. Lady Macbeth, by her quick thinking, covers up the real case of murdering when
Macbeth is beginning to reveal his guilt. The ghost disappears and Macbeth regains his
composure. Once more he attempts good cheer and invokes the name of Banquo. Then the
ghost reappears and Macbeth loses his nerve altogether. He recovers himself when the
ghost disappears again, however it is too late to enable the banquet to continue. Lady
Macbeth heads off a question from Ross and dismisses everyone. Alone with his wife,
Macbeth talks to her that he confides that Macduff seems to be standing against him. He
reveals that he has spies everywhere, and that he intends to revisit the witches. The ghost
of Banquo appears to be subjective because only Macbeth sees it.

When Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost, he reveals that he is suffering from his guilt by his
internal conflict. The ghost of Banquo enters the scene and sits in Macbeth's seat. According
to hierarchy, Banquo should choose his seat according to his rank. The ghost's choice of
seats is symbolic. Banquo filling Macbeth's place means his offspring will be future kings.

Macbeth's challenge to the ghost "What man I dare, I dare" echoes an earlier line in the
play, "I dare do all that may become a man." Both of these lines come in response to
threats to his masculinity, indicating Macbeth's sensitivity to threats and implications that
he is not a 'man'.

From Lady Macbeth's question to her husband, "Are you a man?" to Macbeth's lines that end
with "Than such a murder is", we can see that Lady Macbeth raises the question of
masculinity by associating her husband's reaction to the ghost. Therefore it is talking about
Macbeth's manhood. This also reflects that Lady Macbeth has had to use all her resources
and wit to contain the potential damage of exposure to remain on her throne..

Macbeth's question, "Which of you have done this?" implies that he thinks that what he sees
is real, but no one else sees the ghost.
The dramatic tension in this scene is exploited by the way that Macbeth in fact reveals his
guilt.

The mention of sleep reinforces Macbeth's guilt. It also points to the dramatic irony that
Macbeth himself is a prophet "Macbeth shall sleep no more."

The scene ends on the question of reality versus illusion as Macbeth tries to convince
himself that Banquo's ghost was just an illusion. Macbeth consoles himself with the notion
that he is only a beginner in evil. It will get easier as he continues.

At the end of the scene, Macbeth claims that his only choice is to continue his violence and
his tyranny. It shows an extreme revelation that he has already committed too many
crimes. Therefore the suppression of guilt feelings led to psychological illness.

Lastly, the apparitions are also one of the supernatural elements in Macbeth. They play an
important role in the story. Because they tell Macbeth about the future which seriously
influence his judgments afterwards. They also act as an introduction to the remaining part
of the story.

In Act IV scene i, apparitions appear to tell Macbeth's future reality. Macbeth goes to see
the witches in a cave and asks them the answer to his fearful questions. The thundering in
the scene which accompanies the appearance of each apparition reinforces the atmosphere
of unnaturalness. Macbeth then chooses to hear the prophecy from the witches' master,
Hecate. Later, the apparitions are called out to speak to Macbeth. The witches told Macbeth
not to speak because his thoughts and questions will be known.

The first apparition that Macbeth sees is an "armed Head." The head is wearing a helmet. It
symbolizes the prophecies that Macbeth will be killed. The apparitions warn Macbeth to
"beware of Macduff." This confirms Macbeth's fear that Macduff will be his downfall.

The second apparition is a bloody child. It symbolizes Macduff and tells Macbeth that no
man of woman can hurt Macbeth. "The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm
Macbeth." He feels that he has no reason to fear Macduff. But then he changes his mind
quickly and he says he will have to "make assurance double sure." We can see that Macbeth
believes the prophecies but he also thinks that he can change or ignore them to suit his
ambitious. He wishes to accept the favorable predictions and reject what is awkward for
him.

The third apparition is a child with a crown who holds a tree, which symbolizes young
Malcolm coming to Dunsinane. It says that Macbeth shall never be vanquished until Great
Birnam Wood physically moves to high Dunsinane hill. This statement makes Macbeth
overconfident and more convinced that he will not be killed by any one as he thinks it is
impossible that the forest can move.

Then, he demands to know whether his descendants or Banquo's descendants will rule
Scotland in future. The final apparition is a procession of eight kings and the last one of
them is holding a mirror. They are the offspring of Banquo and are the kings in the future.
It confirms the earlier prophecy that the witches gave Banquo in act one.
Actually, the statements made by the apparitions are true in a certain perspective. They
speak truthfully but their words are carefully chosen. Macbeth cannot interpret the
underlying meaning accurately. As Macbeth cannot imagine a man who is not born of
woman and a forest that can move, he takes comfort in the seeming impossibility of these
situations. Later, we know that a man who is not born from woman means Macduff was
born from his mother's womb untimely ripp'd." A moving forest means Malcolm's army is
coming to Dunsinane by leafy camouflage.

Obviously, Macbeth is not sure to trust the apparitions or not although the second
apparition claims that Macduff cannot hurt him. He decided to do something before
considering the consequences of his actions. Therefore, Macbeth orders the murder of
Macduff and his family in order to eliminate the threat of Macduff. The prophetic information
that Macbeth got from the apparitions lead to his actions in the play later, which finally push
him to death at the end.

The apparitions has the supernatural power that they can predict the future of Macbeth and
they come true at the end of the play, they are supernatural elements.

We can conclude that there are 5 important events showing the supernatural elements in
Macbeth. Namely, the witches, the air-drawn dagger, the unnatural happenings, the ghost
of Banquo and the apparitions.