Comparing the Supernatural in William Shakespeares...

Comparing the Supernatural in William Shakespeares Hamlet and Macbeth In the time of William Shakespeare there was a strong belief in the existence of the supernatural. Therefore, the supernatural is a recurring theme in many of Shakespeares plays. In two such plays, Hamlet and Macbeth, the supernatural is an integral part of the structure of the plot. It provides a catalyst for action, an insight into character, and an augmentation of the impact of many key scenes. The supernatural appears to the audience in many varied forms. In Hamlet there appears perhaps the most notable of the supernatural forms, the ghost. However, in Macbeth, not only does a ghost appear, but also a floating dagger, witches, and prophetic†¦show more content†¦Hamlet, having no suspicion of the ghost after the production by the players, encounters the ghost next in his mothers room. In this scene the ghost makes an appearance to whet Hamlets almost blunted purpose(III.iv.126). Hamlet is now convinced of the ghost and he no longer harbors any suspicion. He now listens to it, Speak to her, Hamlet(III.iv.130). The supernatural is the guiding force behind Hamlet. The ghost asks Hamlet to seek revenge for the Kings death and Hamlet is thus propelled to set into action a series of events that ends in his own death. The supernatural occurs four times during the course of Macbeth. It occurs in all the appearances of the witches, in the appearance of Banquos ghost, in the apparitions with their prophecies, and in the air-drawn dagger that guides Macbeth towards his victim. Of the supernatural phenomenon evident in Macbeth the witches are perhaps the most important. The witches represent Macbeths evil ambitions. They are the catalysts that unleash Macbeths evil aspirations. Macbeth believes the witches and wishes to know more about the future so after the banquet he seeks them out at their cave. He wants to know the answers to his questions regardless of whether the consequence is violent and destructive to nature. The witches promise to answer and, following Macbeths wishes, they add further unnatural ingredients to the cauldron and call up their masters. This isShow MoreRelated Comparing Macbeth, Hamlet, and Othello Essay2768 Words   |  12 PagesComparing Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Hamlet, and Othello  Ã‚      Shakespeare’s tragedies were extremely popular in Elizabethan times and today. A tragedy is described as â€Å"a sad, serious story or play, usually ending with the death of the hero. A disastrous, fatal or dreadful event.† By comparing the three plays, Macbeth, Hamlet and Othello it is possible to see how he has used techniques appropriate to tragedy and how he applied them to his plays. The opening of the play is significant because itRead MoreComparing the Opening Sections of Kenneth Branaghs and Franco Zeffirellis Film Versions of Hamlet2458 Words   |  10 PagesComparing the Opening Sections of Kenneth Branaghs and Franco Zeffirellis Film Versions of Hamlet So exactly why is it that Hamlet is still so popular with our modern day audiences when it was written for the naà ¯ve audiences of the 17th century? Personally I believe this is because Hamlet deals with many fresh issues including corruption, love and the supernatural, which still appeal to contemporary audiences. These issues are also present in many films made recently eRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Hamlet Essay3604 Words   |  15 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Hamlet Hamlet was written around the year 1600 in the final years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who had been the monarch of England for more than forty years and was then in her late sixties. The prospect of Elizabeth’s death and the question of who would succeed