Evil is a common element in literature, often embodied as supernatural and occult; Shakespeare is no exception. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the supernatural and occult allow for a more intense and entertaining plot. Shakespeare uses characters such as the Weird Sisters and the ghost of Banquo to convey the supernatural and unearthly side of the play. He also uses inanimate objects, such as a dagger, to show malevolence. However, the supernatural is not only used to thicken the plot, these supernatural elements also contribute to Macbeth’s downfall in different ways. The Weird Sisters play a crucial role in Macbeth’s downward spiral into his ambitious yet murderous escapade for power. The sisters are the first characters seen in Act 1, Scene …show more content…
To Macbeth’s dismay, Duncan names his son, Malcolm, as his successor. Macbeth writes to his wife, telling her of the witches, the prophecies, and Malcolm’s future title. Lady Macbeth, full of ambition and a lust for power, understands in order for the last prophecy to come true, she and her husband must murder the King. After a significant amount of coercion, Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to murder the King. However, she does not tell him the whole plan, as not to worry him. She plans to frame the guards for the murder, but does not tell Macbeth. On the night they plan to kill Duncan, Macbeth has one last battle with himself on whether he should commit murder. He says, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand… Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight? Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain (2.1.44-51)?” In Macbeth’s monologue, he describes a dagger. The dagger is not really in front of Macbeth; it is an illusion. As Macbeth drifts from sanity, he conjures an image of a dagger. The dagger symbolizes Macbeth’s turn from good and towards evil. When he sees the dagger and takes it in his hand, he begins his journey to