Shakespeare constructs the supernatural in Macbeth to be a misleading and paradoxical force that is behind Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's tragic fate. Shakespeare also implements the supernatural to please King James the I who was an avid believer in the supernatural and even wrote a book on witchcraft called “daemonologie”
Initially, Shakespeare highlights the paradoxical nature of the supernatural through carefully constructing ambiguity in the speech of the witches who are previously seen conspiring on their new victim (Macbeth) as seen in Act 1 where they chant in unison “fair is foul and foul is fair” . This misleading statement added to their previous peculiar discussion sets the tone for the plays supernatural elements by suggesting that appearances can be deceiving which may have been Shakespeare's way to foreshadow the moral calamity that would start to ensue for the characters that start trusting the supernatural acting as a warning for the Jacobean audience of the deceiving nature of the supernatural. Shakespeare emphasises the tragic fate that comes with trusting the witches by intertwining Macbeth's fate to them early on by constructing Macbeth to mimic their speech as seen in Act 1 Scene 3 where he concludes “so foul and fair a day I have not seen”. The repetition of the oxymoronic words “foul” and “fair” foreshadow Macbeth's future trust in the supernatural and his descent from a “brave” hero to a “butcher”. This would may been Shakespeare way of pleasing his patron kings James who was an avid believer in the evil forces of the supernatural and witchcraft. This would have resonated with the Jacobean audience who would have linked Macbeth's confidence in the supernatural as his hamartia. This would also likely leave the contemporary audience to realise that the supernatural is a deceiving and paradoxical force.
As the play progresses , Shakespeare shifts from the paradoxical nature of the supernatural to the power and influence they hold. This immense power is initially seen in Act 2 where Macbeth is seen hallucinating a bloody “dagger” . The visual of a dagger depicts how the manipulative prophecies of the witches have led a “noble” character like Macbeth to conceive blasphemous thoughts which are now so deeply ingrained in his mind that he dreams of them. Shakespeare further elicits the influence of the supernatural as Macbeth claims the handle of the dagger is “towards my hand”. This highlights how the Supernatural plays an active role in trying to influence Macbeth into committing regicide by afflicting his dreams and implanting malevolent messages in them. In addition to this , Shakespeare constructs the supernatural as a force capable of destroying societal norms like the patriarchy as seen from Lady Macbeth's sudden impulse to want to “unsex” herself. This quote would have contrasted with the views of the Jacobean audience who would have been used to living in a society where women are nurturing and emotional beings and not power hungry megalomaniacs. Shakespeare may have implemented this diversion from traditional views of women to convey to his audience about the danger the supernatural poses on the great chain of being as the supernatural is able to use its power to shake the fundamental pillars of society. This would have left both the Jacobean and contemporary audience in shock on the power that the supernatural holds.
By the end of the play Shakespeare shifts from the powerful nature the supernatural holds to depicting its ability to control fate. Shakespeare depicts this by constructing the change in Macbeth's character as a direct result of his link to the witches as seen in Act 4 where the second witch predicts “By the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes”. This quote highlights the witches ability to foresight which may have been Shakespeare's way of demonstrating that the witches can predict the future highlighting them as the controllers of fate. The impious adjective “wicked” juxtaposes Macbeth's initial qualities of being “noble” “brave” and “valiant” which depict Macbeth's descent into impiousness as a direct result of the witches altering Macbeth's fate who at the start of the play would have been see as the idea Jacobean man. In addition to this Shakespeare portrays the supernatural's grasp of fate through Lady Macbeths’ sleepwalking where she is seen exclaiming “out damned spot, out”. This reversal in Lady Macbeth's personality from an imposing and dominant figure to a weak and fragile minded one can be directly attributed to her actions which were a direct consequence of the Witches prophecies establishing the lack of control she possessed over her fate. Furthermore, Shakespeare contrasts Lady Macbeths’ speech from the start to the end of the play to highlight her change in fate, this is done as at the start of the play Lady Macbeth is seen speaking in Iambic pentameter which was common for the main characters in shakespearean plays but her later switch to speaking in prose which was more common for lower class characters marks her turning point to a unimportant character. Shakespeare may have done this to portray how the supernatural has changed Lady Macbeth's fate irreversibly. This would have likely left both the Jacobean and Contemporary audience to feel as though the Supernatural is the driving force behind the play and it has the ability to determine one's fate.
In conclusion Shakespeare highlights the theme of the supernatural in various different ways but mainly through its twisted and paradoxical nature and the power it holds over everyone, but Shakespeare also highlights the supernatural as the driving force behind the plays main events and a custodian over fate.
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