Could anyone please give me any feedback on an essay i wrote for an AQA GCSE English Literature question on Macbeth?
I never checked it so im not sure it makes sense but my exam is tomorrow so any helped would be greatly appreciated 😭👍
How does Shakespeare present the supernatural throughout Macbeth?
In Macbeth the supernatural is a very important element throughout due to the fact it was written in the Jacobean society and is prevalent through the witches and Lady Macbeth.
At the beginning of the play Shakespeare first presents the supernatural through the witches chant saying ‘fair is foul and foul is fair.’ The use of rhyme indicates to the audience that they are casting a spell. This would automatically make the witches seem frightening and weird emphasised by the constant reference to the witches as ‘the weird sisters.’ It was also put the audience on edge as when this play was performed in the Jacobean era witches were hated and many suspicious women were burnt at the stake. Furthermore, ‘fair is foul, and foul is fair’ is also a paradoxical effect directly contrasting each other forcing the audience to question their statements and further fear them. Moreover, the deception in this quote foreshadows the plot in which Macbeth deceives Duncan in order to be king. The noun ‘foul’ foreshadows Macbeth’s descent into tyranny and the guilt suffered by both him and Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare may have done this to engage the audience and force them to speculate the story of the play.
Lady Macbeth is also used to present the supernatural through her talking to the evil spirits. In act 1 scene 5 she commands the spirits to take away her femininity asking them to ‘take my milk for gall.’ The connotation of innocence, purity and femininity linked to the noun ‘milk’ shows the power the supernatural are supposedly given. Her demands of the spirits to remove what makes her a woman shows the importance they have in the play and society, further showing the power the supernatural were given by the Jacobean audience. Lady Macbeth is also seeking the power of the witches which again links to the supernatural. She is associating herself with the dangerous and evil forces of nature causing the audience to distrust her as they would have been terrified of the supernatural forces. The imagery in this quote conveys how unnatural this act is due to it taking her purity and innocence and making it bold and brave – a role which women were not intended to have during the Jacobean era. This further emphasises the power of the supernatural as they are providing a woman seen as powerless with power which seemed impossible at that time.
Later in the play, Shakespeare presents the supernatural through Macbeth’s visions in which he says, ‘is this the dagger which I see before me.’ Macbeth is seeing an object which is not real clearly depicting a form of supernatural which is essentially forcing Macbeth to murder Duncan. Regicide was seen as the worst crime that could be committed as it directly goes against the great chain of being. Shakespeare may have used the supernatural to convince the audience they are evil and monstrous creatures or that they are Satan’s puppets as they are committing the worst sin – forcing Macbeth to kill a king. It may also have been used by Shakespeare as a warning to the audience not to attempt to kill King James I or they will become like Macbeth harnessed by Satan. Macbeth has been driven to insanity by the supernatural which further presents the power they have and their control over Macbeth.
Finally, Shakespeare present the supernatural through Lady Macbeth’s madness as she cries ‘Out, damned spot! Out I say!” The adjective ‘damned’ has religious connotations which would have shocked the audience. This implies that Lady Macbeth would be spending an eternity in hell as punishment for her actions directly infringing the great chain of being. This is very ironic as she originally called on the supernatural for help but is now being punished by them which would have been seen - by the Jacobean audience - as a punishment from God. The repeated imperative ‘Out’ signifies her desperation for the omnipotent supernatural being to help her. Therefore, continuing the representation of the power, the supernatural hold.
Overall, Shakespeare presents the supernatural as omnipotent and influential. Throughout the play - through hallucinations and the control the witches held over Macbeth, Shakespeare represented the Jacobean view of the supernatural and how fearful they were.