Evil and the Supernatural Flashcards
How is the theme of evil and the supernatural shown in the play
The theme of the evil and the supernatural is shown through:
wicked thoughts and actions
the activities of the Witches
the disruption of nature
Evil and the supernatural shown through wicked thoughts and actions
The Witches’ predictions encourage Macbeth to think wicked thoughts and carry out evil deeds. As well as murder, Macbeth is also guilty of lying, deception, cowardice, seeking out further contact with evil forces, behaving brutally with both physical and verbal violence and showing a lack of love and concern for others.
Wicked thoughts and actions quote
(Act 1 Scene 3)
Present fears / Are less than horrible imaginings. / My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man that function / Is smothered in surmise, and nothing is, / But what is not
Wicked thoughts and actions quote analysis
Before the first murder of the play takes place there is a slow build up as Macbeth wrestles with his conscience. The wicked thoughts he has are almost worse than the actual deeds (‘Present fears / Are less than horrible imaginings’). He becomes more concerned with what might happen rather than reality (‘nothing is, but what is not’) and uses evil methods to achieve his desires. Once Duncan’s murder has taken place, a line has been crossed and further acts of wickedness keep on coming.
How is leadership shown through the activities of the witches
The Witches’ appearance at the start of the play in the middle of a thunderstorm (apparently of their own creation) sets the tone for what is to follow. As well as predicting the future, controlling the weather and casting evil spells, they also discuss the wicked acts they carry out against ordinary men and women. In a couple of scenes they interact with Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft.
activities of the witches quote
(Act 1 Scene 3)
Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o’th’Tiger: / But in a sieve I’ll thither sail, / And like a rat without a tail, / I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do…….. I’ll drain him dry as hay: / Sleep shall neither night nor day / Hang upon his penthouse lid; / He shall live a man forbid. / Weary sennights nine times nine, / Shall he dwindle, peak and pine.
activities of the witches analysis
One of the Witches describes how a sailor’s wife has insulted her and how she plans to take her revenge (‘I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do’). She plans to follow his ship (The Tiger) and drain the life out of him by not allowing him to sleep. She is going to keep this up for 567 days (‘sennights nine times nine’ or 7 × 9 × 9). As both Macbeth and, particularly, his wife discover, sleep deprivation is an awful punishment.
How is the evil and supernatural shown through the disruption of nature
The opening of the play takes place in the middle of a thunderstorm. A further storm rages on the night of Duncan’s murder and many highly unnatural occurrences are reported in Act 2 Scene 4. In the final scenes of the play, it seems that the trees have come to life as Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane and Macbeth is defeated by Macduff who was not naturally born.
disruption of nature quote
(act 2 scene 4)
The night has been unruly: where we lay, / Our chimneys were blown down, and, as they say, / Lamentings heard i’th’air, strange screams of death / And prophesying with accents terrible / Of dire combustion and confused events, New hatched to th’woeful time. The obscure bird / Clamoured the livelong night. Some say, the Earth / Was feverous and did shake. (Act 2 Scene 3)
disruption of nature analysis
Moments before Macduff announces the discovery of Duncan’s dead body, Lennox talks about events that were occurring while the murder was taking place. These include strong winds, strange ghostly cries in the night, an owl screeching (thought to be a bad omen) and even an earthquake. The natural world has been disturbed and disrupted following the unnatural killing of a king.
