Writers of the Renaissance often wrote about supernatural elements. William Shakespeare is a writer during this period, and he is also the author of The Tragedy of Macbeth. The supernatural elements are the key contributors to the play. They add fear and mystery to the novel. Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, displays many supernatural elements: the nature, ghosts, and the witches are the most significant.
People during the Renaissance were very superstitious; consequently, their connection to the events in the lives of humans was only natural for them. As a result, the weather and animals in the play react to the action of Macbeth. The night of Duncan’s death many supernatural ...view middle of the document...
Other supernatural elements from the play that added fear and mystery were the ghosts and spirits Macbeth witnessed. Macbeth had Banquo murdered, and afterwards, he starting having spells. The night of Macbeth’s banquet, he has an encounter with Banquo’s ghost. When Macbeth saw the ghost of Banquo, it marked the climax of the play and also it marked the beginning of Macbeth’s falling out. Macbeth knew seeing Banquo’s ghost was weird and unnatural:
…The time has been That, when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end; but now they rise again, With twenty moral murders on their crowns, And push and push us from our stools. This is more stranger Than such a murder is…. (78-83)
The quote from the play means that after someone dies they should not come back to life; it is unnatural to see the dead back from the grave. The quote below explains what was reminiscing in Macbeth’s mind.
“Apparently Shakespeare meant to leave the question of the nature of the ghost ambiguous, whether was a real ghost associated with the Catholic purgatory of St. Patrick of whether he was a demon masquerading in human form.” (145-146) Grace.
Macbeth could not explain nor believe his eyes. The next Macbeth encountered were the four apparitions in which the witches discussed. The first was the armed head, which meant to beware of Macduff; blood child, which meant no man born of a woman, could harm Macbeth; the crowned child, who meant Birnamwood, comes to Dunsinane Hill; and the last was a king holding a looking glass, it reflected all the descendants from Banquo down. Macbeth was the only one to witness the gory ghosts of Banquo, and the four apparitions. In conclusion, the ghosts were supernatural because they add a sense of fear to the play and show examples of Macbeth’s crazed mind.
The last supernatural elements from the story would be represented by the three witches. As said by Jennifer Reidel:
“The belief of the majority during the seventeenth century suggests that the witches are powerful figures who can exercise great power over Macbeth; however, strong arguments to the contrary were in existence at the same time.”
The above quote explains how superstitious the people during the seventeenth century were about witches; also the quote describes the strong powers of the witches.
The three witches represent supernatural elements all throughout the play. During the Renaissance period, people believed in witches, and also believed in their evil doings. They were thought to be able to do spells and other concoctions. The people in the play showed a big fear of the witches because they were hideous creatures, and to them they seemed like the work of the devil.
… What are these so withered, and so wild in their attire, That look not like th’ inhabitants o’ th’ earth, And yet are on’t? Live you, or are...
