Supernatural In Macbeth

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Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic play which tells the tale of Macbeth, a decorated and respected hero who spirals into darkness because of his greed and willingness to do anything to achieve ultimate power. Debates have raged over the ages about the role of supernatural elements in the downfall of Macbeth. During the course of the play, there are many interesting sections which could be concentrated on due to the suspense and the involvement of the supernatural. The use of the supernatural in the witches, the visions, the ghost, and the apparitions is a key element in making the concept of the play work and in making the play interesting. Throughout Macbeth there exists confusion as to what is real and what imaginary, and, for the most part, it is Macbeth himself who is confronted with these confusions. The question of whether or not the witches are real must be examined in relation to them. The three sisters are also capable of leading people into danger, often resulting in death as we see in the sailor who was never able to sleep (Act 1, Scene 3). The Witches first appear in the very first scene. They play very prophetic roles, where they predict the past and what the future holds for Macbeth. They appear with sounds of thunder and mysteriously disappear or are swallowed up in a mist. When the three witches predict the fate of Macbeth, it gives the audience a very valuable insight into the fate of Macbeth, making their prophecies a very significant precursor. “When the battles lost and won” (Act 1, Scene 1) was said by the second witch, which says that every battle is won by one side and by the other. Therefore, Macbeth’s fate could be seen as him winning one battle, but losing another, and as we see, he loses the battle of his soul. After the prophecies reveal the fate of Macbeth, the plan to gain power of the throne is brought up, and the only

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