The Supernatural Of William Shakespeare s Macbeth

Abraham Maslow once said, â€Å"We need not take refuge in supernatural gods to explain our saints and sages and heroes and statesmen, as if to explain our disbelief that mere unaided human beings could be that good or wise.† In an odd way, this applies to William Shakespeare’s tragedies. Shakespeare seemed to frequently fall back on the use of supernatural elements in order to pull his plays together. He would turn to them for aid in his story telling and use them to further explain the scenes that were taking place, and that would eventually take place. By tying the supernatural world into his plays, Shakespeare was able to draw in his audience and keep them entertained. Because pieces of his plot were able to apply to their lives, the audience members were captivated by it; therefore, William Shakespeare was a genius for that. However, by using elements of the supernatural, such as the three witch’s in Macbeth sharing their prophecies, Shakespeare is able to t ie in religion. In Elizabethan England the religious beliefs would frequently flip-flop between Catholic and Protestant, two religions that were similar yet different; however, a major point that is stressed in the Bible is that there is to be no communicating with the dead. It’s forbidden by the highest power of them all†¦ God. Characters such as the three witches were used in Macbeth as a way to predict the future actions of Macbeth. Had the three witches not told Macbeth that he were to be king, then he most likelyShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth - The Natural And Supernatural World1313 Words   |  6 PagesLiterature 12/3/15 To be or not to be? 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