How the supernatural works in Macbeth
From the opening lines, Shakespeare establishes the supernatural as the central catalyst for the play's events. The supernatural manifests in many ways throughout the play, whether through ghostly appearances or, more subtly, through Macbeth's recurring hallucinations.
The Witches use equivocal (ambiguous or deceptive) language while talking to Macbeth. It seems that Shakespeare, through this deception, leaves it unclear as to the Witches' true powers. Do they have the ability to control Macbeth's acts? Or does Macbeth take action independently, only inspired by their predictions?
There are a wide variety of attitudes towards the supernatural. Macbeth, initially hesitant, relies upon the supernatural prophecies of the Witches to justify his ambitions. Lady Macbeth, in a similar fashion, invokes supernatural spirits ('unsex me') to rid her of her feminine weaknesses. Banquo, Malcolm, and Macduff however share a distrust for the supernatural. Banquo's remark that 'The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray's / In deepest consequence' illustrates this distance and independence from the dangers of 'supernatural soliciting.'
Key supernatural quotes in Macbeth
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”
Where: Act 1 Scene 1The equivocal chant that opens the play. Good and evil, fair and foul, have been distorted. Argue that this inversion spreads throughout the play, and note that Macbeth unknowingly echoes it in his first line, linking him to the witches from the start.
“All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”
Where: Act 1 Scene 3The prophecy that catalyses Macbeth's ambitions. His desires of kingship, for the first time, are spoken aloud. Notice that the Witches do not instruct, but instead predict. The choice, we could therefore argue, is in Macbeth's hands.
“This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good.”
Where: Act 1 Scene 3Macbeth weighs up the Witches. That he speaks of both 'ill' and 'good' seems to connect back to the inversion of the Witches' opening line. Use this to argue that Macbeth's decisions are influenced by fate.
“By the pricking of my thumbs, / Something wicked this way comes”
Where: Act 4 Scene 1A witch senses Macbeth approaching and calls him 'wicked'. The supernatural seems to recognise Macbeth as one of their own. Argue that by this point in the play, Macbeth has succumbed to their allure.
“none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth”
Where: Act 4 Scene 1The final prophecy. Have the Witches deceived Macbeth with equivocal language? Or has Macbeth, blinded by ambition, misinterpreted their warning?
“Double, double toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble”
Where: Act 4 Scene 1The witches' incantation as they brew their charm. The hypnotic rhythm and grotesque ingredients build an atmosphere of dark, chaotic power. Use it to show how Shakespeare makes the supernatural vivid and threatening on stage.
How the supernatural develops across the play
Supernatural forces become more powerful as the play progresses. Initially manifested through the Witches, as Macbeth descends into chaos, supernatural elements return again and again, through hallucinations of daggers, ghosts, and of Banquo's lineage. By the end of the play, Shakespeare leaves us with one question: was Macbeth's decision to murder brought about by fate or by his own free will?
Using the supernatural in the exam
I think the best answers on the supernatural use a variety of examples. While the Witches are central to the play's supernatural elements, using Macbeth's hallucinations or Banquo's ghostly appearances illustrates a strong understanding of the entire play.
For a perceptive point, bring in the debates between fate and free will. Shakespeare leaves it ambiguous perhaps to flatter King James I, whose interests in the supernatural were captured within his book 'Daemonologie'. Shakespeare also uses the equivocal language of the Witches to illustrate the importance of not meddling with supernatural forces. A clear moral message can be discerned if we are to argue that Macbeth's outcome is a result of his free will and dependence on supernatural evils.
Revise the supernatural as a catalyst for ambition, and as something which physicalises guilt through ghostly apparitions. See how the themes link on the Macbeth themes page and secure your lines with the key quotes page.