Macbeth

Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 3 of Macbeth and then answer the question
that follows.

At this point in the play, after receiving The Witches’ prophecies, Macbeth and Banquo
have just been told that Duncan has made Macbeth Thane of Cawdor.

BANQUO
But 'tis strange:
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence.
Cousins, a word, I pray you.
MACBETH [Aside]
Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme.--I thank you, gentlemen.
This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor:
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings:
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man that function
ZIs smother'd in surmise, and nothing is
But what is not.

Starting with this moment in the play, explore how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of
Macbeth and Banquo towards the supernatural.

Write about:

● how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the
supernatural in this extract
● how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the
supernatural in the play as a whole
Shakespeare presents the attitudes towards the supernatural in the play as something that
should be feared as it is shown to manipulate and twist the fate of men, it brings about
death, destruction and a breakdown of the natural world. The witches are a representation
of the fear of the supernatural as they are shown to manipulate Macbeth to bring about his
own downfall. The Jacobean society and audience of the play believed in the supernatural
and witches; they saw witches as servants of evil and messengers of the devil creating a
sense of fear in the audience as they watched the three witches bring about death and
manipulation.

In the extract from Act 1 Scene 3 it shows the effect the supernatural has on the two
contrasting characters. Banquo, being the foil to Macbeth, creates a sense of morality and
rationality whereas Macbeth and his pride would have seen the act of being made Thane of
Cawdor of establishment in the prophecy. He refers to the witches as “strange" and
“instruments of darkness” to show how their actions are orchestrated by evil intent. The
metaphor describing the witches as being instruments suggests they are vessels for evil,
they are truly controlled by dark intent. In contrast to this Macbeth accepts the prophecy of
the witches. “Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill, // Why hath it given me earnest of
success”. Shakespeare uses the technique of [Aside] to show the audience the characters
true intentions and true thoughts. We are shown Macbeth questions the prophecy that if it
was a bad thing why has received success which is the title of Thane of Cawdor. The
paradox of “Cannot be ill, cannot be good” links to the witches paradox “fair is foul and foul
is fair” to show the influence the witches have of Macbeth. Shakespeare includes the
supernatural so early in the play to confirm to the audience how the events of the play are a
result of the supernatural, this is shown how Macbeth starts to act on his desire to have
power by believing in a supernatural prophecy. Shakespeare also includes Banquo to show
the normality in the play, Banquo is foil to Macbeth as he is rational and not tempted by evil
saying there are “deepest consequences” to the witches prophecy. This shows how the
witches have twisted Macbeth’s fate due his arrogant and ambitious character. To the
Jacobean audience they would have feared the witches and the supernatural, Banquo would
have represented the Jacobean society as he is sceptical of the supernatural whereas
Macbeth embraces it. To the audience they would have seen the witches manipulate
Macbeth into his own downfall instead of Macbeth's hubris being his downfall because the
attitude towards witches were evil and responsible for the work of satan.

Shakespeare builds on the audience’s fear of the supernatural by showing the effect it has
taken on Macbeth , resulting in him killing his friend Banquo. Macbeth decided to kill his best
friend as they were both present at the prophecy and Banquo’s line of heirs shall become
king too. “Fleance his son, that keeps him company, // Whose absence is no less material to
me // Then is his father's”. He asks them to murder Fleance as well - despite not stating it in
the play it is to be assumed that Fleance is a young child showing the evil of Macbeth and
the lengths he is willing to maintain his power - because prophecy says it's Banquo's line
that will be Kings. I also leave no witnesses showing Macbeth is lying and deceitful by not
revealing his evil. In Act 3 Scene 4 we see Macbeth mental deterioration at the hallucination
of Banquo. “Thou canst say i did it. Never Shake thy gory locks at me”. This means Macbeth
believes he is not to blame - he did not kill Banquo. The realisation that he's hallucinating
and essentially speaking to a supernatural being. The denial of murder shows Macbeth’s
cowardice as a man and how he regresses to his weak self at the sight of this horror image.
The representation of Banquo being a corpse would have provoked fear in the audience, the
use of “gory locks” is a bloody image of Banquo. Seeing a supernatural bloody hallucination
would shock the Jacobean audience as it a fear of the supernatural being represented on
stage. Shakespeare wanted to appeal to James I who became King of England after
Elizabeth I, he a witch fanatic and therefore most supernatural elements in the play such as
hallucinations and the characters of the witches are implemented to appeal to his beliefs. It
could also be argued that Banquo’s heirs to the throne is Linked to Elizabeth I leaving no
children meaning that King James I inherited her Crown. When Macbeth sees the
hallucination of Banquo he sees his as his guilt “Thou canst say i did it”. He denies
responsibility for Banquo's death. This shows his mental deterioration as the other quests
cannot see Banquo. “His highness is not well.” The other guests see him as being sick. In
the jacobean era mental health was as sickness. The imagery of sickness and death in the
play makes the audience fear the supernatural so Shakespeare is able to appease the belief
that it is evil.

One final way Shakespeare presents attitudes towards the supernatural in the play is as a
desire for the supernatural as an element of power. Macbeth uses the supernatural as a drug
almost and only uses it when it so benefits him. “to the weird sisters: // More shall they
speak;” he requires “more” prophecies from the witches so he can confirm his power and
success. He refers to them as a tool he can use “shall they speak” implies he commands
them to tell him, his expectation is that he will ask for knowledge and he will receive.
Furthermore, we see that it’s the faith and trust Macbeth has in the supernatural that leads
him to his demise. The second prophecy reveals “for none of the women born Shall harm
Macbeth.”. C-section was deemed abnormal in the 1600s and even when it was, the baby
rarely survived. This allows both Macbeth and the audience to have faith in the supernatural
as it just confirmed that it is immortal to their opinion. The plot twist is that “Macduff was
from his mothers womb untimely ripped”. The effect this has on Macbeth and the audience
is that is shows the supernatural should be feared as it act purely to twist and manipulate
the fate of men and cause chaos, bringing about downfall.The story of Adam and Eve ends
with Eve being tempted by the serpent, a messenger of the devil, to take the forbidden fruit
of knowledge. Shakespeare represents the religious imagery in the play through Macbeth
being tempted by sin the same way Eve was and is the result of the downfalls. Shakespeare
implements the religious imagery in the play as the Jacobean era and 1600s was very
religious. The witch hunts were based on the belief they worked for Satan, James I wrote
the book daemonologie about witches and associated the world demon to them as a result.

In conclusion Shakespeare uses the supernatural to create fear in the audience and play on
their belief in witchcraft and satan. He develops his characters throughout the play only for
their downfall to be brought down upon by the evil force that is the supernatural; Macbeth
mentally deteriorates because of his hallucination and is killed by Macduff because of the
faith he has in the prophecies. Banquo is foil to Macbeth and represents the doubtful
suspicion in the witches but also the innocent whose death is caused by Macbeth
manipulated hamartia. The supernatural acts out of evil intent to physically harm characters.