Sunday, September 1, 2019
Explore and evaluate Shakespeareââ¬â¢s use of the supernatural in Macbeth Essay
Explore and evaluate Shakespeareââ¬â¢s use of the supernatural in Macbeth, supporting your answer with a detailed discussion of two scenes of your choice. In the play Macbeth, the supernatural is a major theme, and is important on a number of levels: firstly, it held many attractions for its original audience, both general and specific; secondly, the supernatural is an intriguing dramatic device, used to drive the play along and to keep it exciting; finally, the supernatural also has a great thematic significance to the play. This essay will look at each of these points in turn, and supplement them with a detailed analysis of exactly how Shakespeare uses the supernatural in relation to two scenes; Act One Scene One, and Act Five Scene One. It is important, however, to begin with a definition of the supernatural and what it encompasses. The supernatural is defined as forces, occurrences, and beings that cannot be explained by science. When people think of the supernatural they automatically think of dark and mysterious beings such as ghosts and witches, but phenomena such as hallucinations, prophecies, vision and apparitions can also be grouped under the supernatural. The supernatural comes from the two words ââ¬Å"superâ⬠and ââ¬Å"natureâ⬠. In this case the word ââ¬Å"superâ⬠means ââ¬Å"beyondâ⬠, so the supernatural can encompass all things beyond nature, or perversions of nature, such as unusual weather and weather and sleep disorders. Finally, the supernatural can also mean disrupting the natural order, such as regicide. When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, he wrote it for a specific as well as a general audience: The specific audience was James I, and the general audience were the theatregoers of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. It was very important that when Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, he wrote in a way that would appeal to James I. James I had been the Patron of Shakespeareââ¬â¢s band of actors, The Kingââ¬â¢s Men, since 1603, and it is thought that Macbeth was first performed in August 1606 to celebrate the visit of Jamesââ¬â¢ brother-in-law, King Christian of Denmark, so James I would have been the Patron of The Kingââ¬â¢s Men for three years. It was important that the Patron enjoyed the plays because he or she was one of the main sources of money for the actors. In Macbeth, witches were the main supernatural phenomenon in the play, and for the audience of the time, witches were believed to be very real, and a subject of great conversation, not only with the regular working-class, but also with the great thinkers of that time. This notion was also memorably and hilariously in the famous debate scene from ââ¬Å"Monty Python and the Holy Grail.â⬠Most importantly, though, the use of witchcraft in Macbeth would have appealed greatly to King James I. James I always had a fascination with witches. In 1950, while he was still King of Scotland, he had over 300 ââ¬Å"witchesâ⬠tortured in order to extract confessions that they were conspiring against him. King James took an active part in these trials, believing that, since the Kings was believed to be Godââ¬â¢s representative on Earth, he would obviously be the main target of these ââ¬Å"agents of the devilâ⬠. Also, James himself wrote and published a book about witchcraft around 1597, the Demonology, in which he detailed their supposed powers of predicting the future, affecting the weather, defying all laws of physics and taking demonic possession of innocent people. In 1592, King James had a meeting with a lady called Agnes Simpson, someone who for a long time had been suspected of being a practising witch. James met with her to interrogate her about her witchcraft, but was highly disturbed when Simpson began quoting the exact same words Jamesââ¬â¢s wife said to him on their wedding night. This made James far more engrossed with witchcraft, and made him even more determined to rid the world of these ââ¬Å"agents of the devilâ⬠. Finally, in 1604, new laws were enacted by James I stating that practising witches would be punished by execution. Shakespeare not only used the witches to grab the attention of James I; he also used them as a way to flatter James, his friends and his relatives. The witches are used to prophesise the succession of Banquoââ¬â¢s progeny as King, and help to show Banquo favourably: In the original story of Macbeth, found in Holinshedââ¬â¢s Chronicles of Scotland, Banquo is complicit to Duncanââ¬â¢s murder, but Shakespeare changes this to show that Banquo is a honest, pure-of-heart person, which will please James I as Banquo is a old ancestor of his. He also shows Banquo to be a wise person in Act One Scene Three, where Banquo and Macbeth meet the witches for the first time. Macbethââ¬â¢s reaction is one of ambition, and is captivated by what the witches say, whereas Banquo has a far more cautious response, and is aware that the witches could well be up to no good. I, iii 123 ââ¬â 126 And oftentimes to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betrayââ¬â¢s In deepest consequence.- This will please James I, to know that his relatives were also aware of witchesââ¬â¢ evil. James I is also mentioned in Macbeth, when Macbeth has a vision of eight Kingââ¬â¢s, on with ââ¬Å"two-fold balls and treble sceptresâ⬠. These were Jamesââ¬â¢ regalia, and symbolised Jamesââ¬â¢s power over Macbeth. James I is also seen to have power of Macbeth when Banquoââ¬â¢s ghost is seen sitting in Macbethââ¬â¢s chair. This use of the supernatural suggests that Banquoââ¬â¢s ancestors will one day take over the throne from Macbeth. Macbethââ¬â¢s fear of Banquoââ¬â¢s ghost also suggests again that Banquo is superior to Macbeth. Finally, Shakespeare uses the supernatural to interest James I when Macbeth seems powerless in the face of Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s illness. Malcolm and Macduff talk about how the true king has the power to cure the Kingââ¬â¢s Evil, as disease called scrofula. James I was believed to have this power and it would have pleased James to know that Shakespeare has shown him to be more powerful than Macbeth. Shakespeare also realised how important it is for plays to appeal to their general audience, and uses a number of different methods to carry this out. The regular people of Elizabethan and Jacobean England also had a fascination with witches, and every town in England would have suspected witches, so it was a common subject of conversation. From these conversations sprouted rumours about the ways and lifestyles of witches, and Shakespeare put hints of these stories into Macbeth. In Act 1 Scene 3, Witch 2 says she has been ââ¬Å"Killing swineâ⬠, whilst witch 1 says that ââ¬Å"in a sieve Iââ¬â¢ll hither sailâ⬠. The people of that time did actually believe that witches killed pigs and sailed over the ocean in a sieve, and hearing these things in a play would have lit up their enthusiastic fascination and would have grabbed their attention. In Macbeth the witches are not only used to fascinate the audience but also to amuse them. The audience would have enjoyed the reference to the witches ââ¬Å"beardsâ⬠in Act 1 Scene 3, as the witches would have been played by men, and the self-aware joking from the actors would have gone down well with the whole audience. Shakespeare also uses recent events to attract the audience. Macbeth becomes very concerned about the fact that he has no heir to his throne, and the audience will be able to relate this to their recent experience of Queen Elizabeth, who died with no natural heir. The supernatural also adds to Macbeth on a dramatic level, and is used to create suspense, embellish themes of the play and to accentuate the characters personalities, amongst other things. As previously mentioned, the supernatural encompasses hallucinations, and Macbethââ¬â¢s hallucination of a dagger is a great dramatic device to give the audience the full, haunting extent of Macbethââ¬â¢s inner turmoil. In some performances of Macbeth, the dagger actually appears hovering onstage, and whilst that maybe an interesting use of special effects, I think it is far more effective when the dagger is invisible, as we can see that he is in fact seeing things, and that what is going on is just in his mind. Similarly, when Macbeth sees Banquoââ¬â¢s ghost sitting in his chair, having no one sitting in the chair shows how disturbed Macbeth is. Also, this would the audience in the same position as his friends at the table, perplexed and worried about what is happening. On the other hand, if someone was to play Banquoââ¬â¢s ghost, it would allow for the actor to make use of the stage trapdoor, which would have gone down very well with the audience. Another use of Banquoââ¬â¢s ghost is to mark a turning point in the play; before the ghostââ¬â¢s arrival, Macbeth is authoritative and respected, but his reaction to the ghost shows him in a completely different light, nervous and vulnerable, and this would change his friendsââ¬â¢ opinions. This signifies a big change in the play, and from this point onward things become progressively words for Macbeth. Another example of how the supernatural is used as a dramatic device is when Macbeth and Banquo first meet with the witches. The audience know that Macbeth is to be soon hailed Thane of Cawdor, but Macbeth is unaware. This use of dramatic irony gives the audience a sense of superiority, and draws them into the play. Finally, in Act 2 and Scene 4 Ross and the Old Man are commenting on how the events of Macbethââ¬â¢s regicide have affected the wider world. Here they act almost like a Greek chorus, providing a running commentary on events. The events they describe, such as Duncanââ¬â¢s horses eating each other and a Falcon being eaten by a Mousing Owl effectively tell the audience that Macbethââ¬â¢s actions have far-reaching consequences. Macbeth is a tragedy, and Shakespeare uses the supernatural to reinforce this. Macbeth is tragic because at the beginning of the play Macbeth is a brave, honourable man, but by the end he is a weak, self centred man, who is eventually killed through fault of his own. This fits Aristotleââ¬â¢s notion of what a tragedy is. In his Poetics he says that a good tragedy has to be about the downfall of a man from a position of greatness to one of lowliness and death. However, Aristotle then goes on to say that it is only a true tragedy if the downfall was brought about by an aspect of the manââ¬â¢s personality, what Aristotle called his ââ¬Å"fatal flawâ⬠. Macbethââ¬â¢s fatal flaw is his ambition, and the supernatural is used to back this up in a number of ways: The witches in Macbeth are used to show how Macbethââ¬â¢s ambition takes over everything in his life, and is responsible for Macbethââ¬â¢s killing of Duncan. In Act 1 Scene 3, the witches donââ¬â¢t say anything about killing Duncan, but Macbeth is so captivated by the fact that he has been told he could be King, his ambition takes over and he would do anything to get to the crown. Shakespeare also uses Banquoââ¬â¢s reaction to the witchesââ¬â¢ prophecies to bring out Macbethââ¬â¢s burning ambition further still. Banquo hears the same things from the witches, but responds in a far more level-headed way, which shows how great an effect Macbethââ¬â¢s ambition has on his thoughts. Ambition is one of the main themes in Macbeth, but perhaps the most important theme is that of Kingship, and the lengths Macbeth will go to to become King, which includes Regicide. In Shakespearean times people were far more aware of The Divine Right of Kings, and therefore killing a King was the next crime down from killing God. An assault on the King is an assault on God, and it was shown by Ross and the Old Man in Act 2 Scene 4 that the killing of Duncan had supernatural consequences. These consequences are an example of how nature is disordered and unnatural, and the supernatural also conveys this in a number of ways: In the opening scene, the witches talk about paradoxes such as ââ¬Å"fair is foul and foul is fairâ⬠, and they say Banquo is ââ¬Å"lesser that Macbeth, and greater.â⬠This is Shakespeareââ¬â¢s way of showing that things in the play are the opposite of what they seem, and that there are many double meanings to what the witches say. Even the appearance of the witches show that things are reversed and upside down, as displayed by the witches beards. Also, Shakespeare uses the interruption of natural rhythms such as sleep to show how the natural order has been interrupted. Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s somnambulance is a clear example of how disturbed she is over the death of Duncan, and because Lady Macbeth is always putting a front on in public laced with smiles, sleepwalking is a highly effective way of bringing out her inner turmoil. Finally, Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy to show what effect Macbethââ¬â¢s actions have on the rest of the world. The stormy weather and earthquakes described once again by Ross and Old Man demonstrate that there not just a few people suffering from Macbethââ¬â¢s actions, it encompasses a whole nation. This essay has shown how Shakespeare uses the supernatural in a dramatic, thematic and audience-specific ways, but in order to see just how effectively he integrates into the text, it is important to look at two scenes where it is most memorably used. This essay will be looking at Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 5 Scene 1. ACT 1 SCENE 1 The opening scene is an excellent platform to see the supernatural in its most common manifestation in Macbeth: the three witches. The first scene introduces the audience to the witches, and Shakespeare uses the witches to set the scene for the rest of the play. Before the witches even speak, we know this is going to be a dark, intense play from the stage directions. Firstly, thunder and lightning is Shakespeareââ¬â¢s way of using pathetic fallacy to tell us what sort of mood the play has. Thunder and lightning creates a very tense mood, as you never know when the lightning will strike. It will also create a dark sky, making it every scarier. Thunder and lightning also symbolises that everything is not in order, and things arenââ¬â¢t running smoothly. The second part of the stage directions simply says ââ¬Å"Enter THREE WITCHES.â⬠I have already said how fascinated people were with witches in Shakespearean times, and seeing on stage as soon as the play begins would have lit their enthusiasm and grabbed their attention instantaneously. Witches are of course encompassed by the supernatural. These agents of the devil are there to show that the natural order of things and the natural order of God has been disrupted, and all is not well. When the Witches begin talking, it becomes apparent that they want to meet with Macbeth, and that things in the play arenââ¬â¢t all well. When they say ââ¬Å"when the battleââ¬â¢s lost and wonâ⬠, these oxymoronic statements show that everything is upside down, and that one thing can quite easily mean the other. It emerges that they will meet again with Macbeth upon the heath before the set of the sun, meaning today. They also talk about their ââ¬Å"demonsâ⬠, Paddock and Greymalkin, a toad and a cat. People at the time believed witches kept pets to spy on people so they could posses them. James I wrote about it in his book. The language that witches use and the way they talk is quite unusual, and shows why the three have been branded ââ¬Å"The Wyrd Sistersâ⬠. When the witches are talking, they never talk in iambic pentameter, the usual pattern of Shakespeareââ¬â¢s writing. The iambic pentameter symbolises a natural rhythm, and the disruption of this rhythm demonstrates the natural order of things has been disrupted. This is very similar to Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s sleepwalking in Act 5 Scene 1. Also, the witchesââ¬â¢ phrases seem to carry on from one another. An example of this is when Witch 2 says ââ¬Å"When the battleââ¬â¢s lost and wonâ⬠, and Witch 3 immediately replies ââ¬Å"That will be the ere the set of sun.â⬠This sort of language could mean that they are all part of one body, and controlled by one greater power, namely the Devil. It also could be seen to show that the witches are using telepathic powers to communicate with one another. The people of Shakespearean times were firm believers that witches could communicate with each other through the power of their minds, and James I also wrote about it in his book The Demonology. The penultimate line in this scene, ââ¬Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fairâ⬠once again shows how one thing can mean the other, and that the witches are turning over Godââ¬â¢s natural order. The first scene in this play isnââ¬â¢t very long at all, but in it Shakespeare manages to tell us an awful lot about the nature of the play, and sets the scene well for the rest of the play. This haunting scene shows the final degeneration of Lady Macbeth, in which the supernatural plays an important part in conveying the full extent of Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s troubles. Prior to this scene, Lady Macbeth has never let her cover slip. She has remained ââ¬Å"thââ¬â¢innocent flowerâ⬠in public, and only alone or with Macbeth has she been ââ¬Å"the serpent underââ¬â¢tâ⬠. This is the first point where she subconsciously lets her facade slip. Only when she says she would have murdered Duncan ââ¬Å"had he not resembles / [her] father as he sleptâ⬠does the audience see she has the tiny piece of humanity, and the audience also sees a glimpse of her guilt when she says that ââ¬Å"Naughtââ¬â¢s had, allââ¬â¢s spent, / Where our desire is got without consent.â⬠Apart from these two comments, Lady Macbeth has appeared strong and not let her front slip, so it is a great shock to see her so vulnerable and weak in such a verbal and visual way. The stage directions of this scene are ââ¬Å"Enter a DOCTOR OF PHYSIC and a WAITING-GENTLEWOMAN.â⬠The fact that there is a Doctor is a concern to the audience, because a doctor is only ever present when someone is ill (nature being disordered), or there is a need to stave off death. Also, a waiting-gentlewoman suggests that Lady Macbeth that has to depend on someone else, which is a huge contrast to her ever-independent personality, especially since the waiting-gentlewoman is of a lower status to herself. So just by the stage directions, we know that Lady Macbeth is in need of help. We are also aware of that Lady Macbeth is troubled from the conversation between the Doctor and waiting-gentlewoman. For a start, it turns out that that the pair have been watching Lady Macbeth for two nights now. The fact that Lady Macbeth has let people watch her without her realising shows how vulnerable she is because she doesnââ¬â¢t know what information she is giving to the audience. The gentlewoman then goes on to tell the Doctor (and the audience) a list of what Lady Macbeth has done ââ¬Å"Since his majesty went into the fieldâ⬠. The fact that she automatically throws ââ¬Å"her night-gown upon herâ⬠suggests that she is subconsciously ashamed of herself and has a desire to conceal her true self. This is a very effective insight to Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s inner thoughts, although this is lost in the Polanski version of Macbeth, where she appears naked. This essay has already discussed how Macbeth is full of oxymorons and contradictions, and this scene is no exception. When the waiting-gentlewoman talks about how Lady Macbeth has managed to complete all these actions that usually occur when people are awake (she manages to ââ¬Å"unlock he closet, take forth paperâ⬠etc.), it is highly strange for anyone to do them ââ¬Å"in a most fast sleepâ⬠. This is another way of Shakespeare showing that nature has been disrupted. The Doctor explains it well that there has to be ââ¬Å"A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of watching!â⬠He then follows this with the oxymoronic ââ¬Å"slumbery agitationâ⬠, another sign of a natural rhythm being overturned. Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s actions are also full of contradictions, as noted by the comments: ââ¬Å"her eyes are openâ⬠â⬠¦ ââ¬Å"but their senses are still shutâ⬠; and also ââ¬Å"she has spoke what she should notâ⬠, displaying once again the fact that she has no control over what people hear her say. Finally, the fact that the servant wonââ¬â¢t tell the Doctor what she has seen her do previously heightens the suspense. When Lady Macbeth finally arrives onstage, the stage directions say ââ¬Å"with a taper.â⬠The taper could resemble her isolation, a small candle in a dark room, or it could emphasise her desire for light, in contrast too her ââ¬Å"dark desiresâ⬠. It would also give extra meaning to Macbethââ¬â¢s famous ââ¬Å"out, out brief candleâ⬠speech, which he gave just after the news of his wifeââ¬â¢s death. Sleepwalking is unnatural, as a natural bodily cycle is being interrupted. The audience may have seen this as supernatural possession, possibly by the witches, which would have made the scene even more intense. When Lady Macbeth is in her ââ¬Å"slumbery agitationâ⬠it seems as if she is in another world. The fact that she is being commented on by the Doctor and waiting-woman emphasises her isolation from the rest of the world. Also, the fact that the audience can see hear Lady Macbeth without her knowing will give them a feeling of superiority over her, and make her feel less powerful. When Lady Macbeth comes onstage the audience is drawn to ââ¬Å"how she rubs her hands.â⬠The audience are told that she has been known to do this for a quarter of an hour makes clear the extent of her deterioration. When Lady Macbeth first speaks, she talks of the imaginary, supernatural ââ¬Å"spotâ⬠of blood on her hand. This mirrors Macbethââ¬â¢s hallucination of the ââ¬Å"air-drawn daggerâ⬠. Lady Macbeth is experiencing what Macbeth has already encountered, but she has suppressed all humanity and compassion in her to such an extent that it has to find a way out, and the only way is when she is unconscious. When Macbeth sees the dagger he appears to have gone mad to the audience, but his cathartic projection of his fears is far healthier. In this scene, Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s language has changed dramatically. Her first speech is only four syllables long, but it is in prose, as opposed to the formal iambic pentameter verse. Her speech is disjointed, which represents her isolation from the world. Also, there is so little rhythm to it, although it could be argued that the phrase takes a spondaic form, which would suggest a very disordered state and lack of control. Also, her speech is purposefully bland, reserved for those of a lower status, and most certainly not royalty like herself. This is very similar to Macbethââ¬â¢s linguistic degeneration, when he addresses the Murderers in prose. Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s language is a highly telling manifestation of her degeneration. The contrast between her poetic, calculated persuasion of Act One to the child-like drivel of ââ¬Å"The Thane of Fife had a wifeâ⬠. Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s final speech is of a woman who is no longer exists in the present: she is in the past reliving her memories, almost in some horrifying reverie. The fact she is reliving the past is backed up with ââ¬Å"thereââ¬â¢s knocking at the gateâ⬠, reflects a reliving of the last few moments before their act of murder was discovered. The speech is also crammed with repetition, with ââ¬Å"comeâ⬠repeated four times and ââ¬Å"to bedâ⬠five. Finally, the phrase ââ¬Å"give me your handâ⬠is a perfect expression of her feelings towards her husband ââ¬â she still loves him but she still feels the desire to command and control. The doctorââ¬â¢s final speech widens the scope of Lady Macbethââ¬â¢s experiences to take in the whole world: ââ¬Å"Foul whisperings are abroadâ⬠can be used to apply to the death of Lady Macbeth herself, but can also relate to the supernatural side-effects of Macbethââ¬â¢s regicide. After the degeneration of Lady Macbeth, one of the most powerful and vivid character in all of drama, it is the lowly doctor who talks in poetry, not his usual prose. ââ¬Å"Unnatural deeds/ Do breed unnatural troublesâ⬠sums up the play brilliantly, but a terrifying reminder of the consequences the Macbeths have to live with. SECTION SEVEN: conclusion This essay has looked at Shakespeareââ¬â¢s use of the supernatural in great detail, commenting on it in a thematic, dramatic and audience-specific sense and focusing in extra detail on Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 5 Scene 1. Shakespeare makes excellent use of the supernatural through witches, hallucinations, prophecies, somnambulance and freak weather. Whether they dominate the scene or not, the many manifestations of the supernatural are used precisely and effectively to add an extra dimension to Macbeth.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.