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The supernatural elements in Macbeth
The supernatural elements in Macbeth
Macbeth-role of three witches
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Macbeth questions the three witches identities and immediately they began to chant, one at a time, “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee,
Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (I.3.51-53). The witches' words are a catalyst, fueling Macbeth's ambition and setting him on a treacherous path.
Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” by using exclamatory sentences and diction to add a sense of foreboding and shows the witches as agents of chaos, this first the prophecy that turns the story into one where we question wether the strory is one of fate or of flaw. By repeating “All hail, Macbeth!” This is when we see him first questioning his actions. Another example of Macbeth being forced to do anothers bidding is when his wife lady Macbeth belitals him by saying, “When you durst
All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” Page 327, Lines
Supernatural elements can be seen in Macbeth through the witches and their unusual powers. The witches appear to be helpful in giving Macbeth his prophecy, but in reality want only to stir up trouble and cause strife throughout the kingdom. Although Macbeth wants the witches to tell him his prophecy, he is also afraid to act on these newly found predictions for fear of the inevitable guilt he will then have to face. Macbeth states that the witches as "Instruments of darkness" in order to explain to readers that even though the witches appear to be helping Macbeth, in reality they are causing more harm than good and creating evil thoughts within the characters minds. Macbeth’s prophecy began his desire for power, which led to his struggle with guilt.
Throughout the play, the witches have a strong influence on many characters. MacBeth listens to their prophecies and tries to pursue ultimate power because of them. The witches are an example of supernatural beings and change in natural order of events. The witches prophecies were seen as concrete and not able to be altered, so by MacBeth trying to usurp and affect his future, he reaps the poor consequences of his actions. The witches are stronger and more powerful than MacBeth because they have all-power and the ability to forever alter the course of someone’s life.
Influence of Witchcraft In Shakespeare’s day witches were not merely a novelty character brought out as a joke around Halloween. It was widely believed that witches were real and that they possessed powers that were considered to be of the devil. This belief in witchcraft eventually led to a widespread panic that was followed by the persecution of witches. Due to this belief in witchcraft at the time Macbeth was written and performed; the tone was already set. Shakespeare used this fear to create suspense within the play and it led to the involvement of the weird sisters and the crazed actions committed by Macbeth and his wife.
The first prophecy that was given to Macbeth by the witches was “All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor” (Act
He tells his nobleman to announce that Macbeth will now become the new thane of Cawdor! The witches exclaim “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor. ”(cite) They also announce he, “Shalt be king hereafter!”
Macbeth come across the three witches, there they state, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor” (Act 1, Scene 3). In reply to the three witches, Macbeth demanded “stay you imperfect speakers! Tell me more”. With just these few statements announced, Macbeth’s thirst for power and glory arises and is clearly seen.
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! Thou shalt be king hereafter!
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, Thane of Cawdor! / All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be
All hail, Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter.” (Shakespeare 17). Macbeth becomes startled and confused for he is the thane of Glamis, but not the thane of Cawdor and certainly not the king. The witches disappear and then Ross and Angus enter the scene also hailing Macbeth. They then state that he is the thane of Cawdor.
Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor, All hail Macbeth! Thou shalt be king hereafter” and to Banquo “… Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” (Act 1, Scene 3). After Macbeth hears of his promotion to Thane of Cawdor, he quickly begins to believe the witches and prophecies
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth, in many cases, is portrayed as being evil. However, his character is not truly the evil force driving the actions of the play. His wife, Lady Macbeth, as well as the witches and their misleading prophecies, are the real driving forces of Macbeth’s unspeakable actions. Macbeth is driven mad by the evil around him, causing him to turn to the violent behavior displayed throughout the many murders of the play.