The Supernatural

The Supernatural and the Mind

Macbeth sees a dagger and Banquo's ghost among other visions. These could be hallucinations or supernatural forces at work.

Dagger

Macbeth has visions throughout the play, such as the dagger before he kills King Duncan, ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me’ (2,1).
These could be psychological (of the mind) or they could be premonitions (feelings that something bad is going to happen) and Macbeth is experiencing the supernatural.
Because he has interacted with the witches, the audience might think that he has made himself vulnerable to evil.

Banquo's ghost

A key supernatural event is when Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo. He is the only one who can see the ghost.
- We could argue that this hallucination is a symptom of Macbeth’s mind becoming more and more unbalanced because of the guilt he feels, as well as the overwhelming amount of power he suddenly has.

The Supernatural and Evil

It is important to remember the context of the play for this theme: King James I believed in witches. He thought they were evil and could harm people.

Role and significance of the witches

The witches are the first characters the audience see in the play. This shows that they are very significant for what is to come.
They manipulate (control to their advantage) Macbeth to show the evil within himself.

Lady Macbeth and the supernatural

Lady Macbeth calls on spirits too. She does this like the witches themselves: ‘Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here’ (1,5).
She uses imperative language (‘come’ and ‘unsex’) which suggests that she thinks she has control over them. This labels her as an evil character who wants supernatural beings to help her.
We don’t know whether this is something she has done before or whether the opportunity to take the crown has made her want to try to contact them. But it could just be words. Perhaps she is simply showing how far she is prepared to go.

Cause bad events

Contact with the supernatural seems to cause the events of the play.
- Macbeth and Lady Macbeth only hatch the plan to kill King Duncan because the witches tell Macbeth that he will be the king one day – we could argue that, without the witches, none of the events of the play would have happened.

1Literary & Cultural Context

1.1Context

1.1.1Tragedy

1.1.2The Supernatural & Gender

1.1.3Politics & Monarchy

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Context

2Plot Summary

2.1Act 1

2.1.1Scenes 1 & 2

2.1.2Scene 3

2.1.3Scenes 4-5

2.1.4Scenes 6-7

2.1.5End of Topic Test - Act 1

2.2Acts 2-4

2.2.1Act 2

2.2.2Act 3

2.2.3Act 4

2.3Act 5

2.3.1Scenes 1-3

2.3.2Scenes 4-9

2.3.3End of Topic Test - Acts 2-5

3Characters

3.1Macbeth

3.1.1Hero vs Villain

3.1.2Ambition & Fate

3.1.3Relationship

3.1.4Unstable

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Macbeth

3.2Lady Macbeth

3.2.1Masculine & Ruthless

3.2.2Manipulative & Disturbed

3.3Other Characters

3.3.1Banquo

3.3.2The Witches

3.3.3Exam-Style Questions - The Witches

3.3.4King Duncan

3.3.5Macduff

3.3.6End of Topic Test - Lady Macbeth & Banquo

3.3.7End of Topic Test - Witches, Duncan & Macduff

3.4Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.4.1Grade 9 - Lady Macbeth Questions

4Themes

4.1Themes

4.1.1Power & Ambition

4.1.2Power & Ambition HyperLearning

4.1.3Violence

4.1.4The Supernatural

4.1.5Masculinity

4.1.6Armour, Kingship & The Natural Order

4.1.7Appearances & Deception

4.1.8Madness & Blood

4.1.9Women, Children & Sleep

4.1.10End of Topic Test - Themes

4.1.11End of Topic Test - Themes 2

4.2Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.1Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.2Extract Analysis

5Writer's Techniques

5.1Structure, Meter & Other Literary Techniques

5.1.1Structure, Meter & Dramatic Irony

5.1.2Pathetic Fallacy & Symbolism

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Writer's Techniques

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