Supernatural Destruction Essay, Research Paper

The supernatural elements in Shakespeare s plays, Hamlet and Macbeth, provide key roles in influencing the main character s choices. The supernatural beings also give rise to the development of the falling action and hints at foreshadowing the end of the two plays. Both Hamlet and Macbeth are set into a conflict because of the persuasions of the ghost and three witches. The dialogues between the protagonists and supernatural creatures helped to maintain the action and vengeance during the play, and led to the destruction of Hamlet and Macbeth.

The appearance of the ghost, in Hamlet, on a gloomy night outside Ellsinore Castle indicates immediately that something is wrong in Denmark. It foreshadows a conflict for Hamlet in the story and Horatio interprets the ghost as a warning about Fortinbras. Hamlet, devastated by his father’s death, feels that his mother had betrayed his father from what the ghost had conveyed to him. The ghost exits saying, Adieu, adieu, adieu. Remember me. Hamlet then debates about suicide and life in the eternal world, from which his late father informed him as inconceivable. As soon as the ghost appears, nothing is any longer the same as before. The ghost of King Hamlets sets the tone for the denouement of the play.

Throughout the tragedy of Macbeth, “weird sisters” appear on and off as dark thoughts and temptations to evil. They first appear to Macbeth chanting, Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, King hereafter. It seems as if Macbeth has no conscience; the three witches influence Macbeth so strongly that his greed to become king and have all has come about him. The mischief they cause is likely due to their witchcraft, but mainly to their ability to know exactly what to say to surrender their victim to evil; they work on Macbeth’s ambition like puppeteers. Each appearance of the weird sisters gives rise to Macbeth s need for masculine dominance. Whenever a prophecy is revealed to Macbeth, violence, chaos, destruction, and death follow.

The ghost s speech, in Hamlet, led Hamlet to realize that his uncle killed his father. It also led to Hamlet assuming that his mother had been unfaithful to his father. All of these actions contributed to form a triangulation of revenge and the eventual destruction of Hamlet. On the other hand, the three sister s constant appearance, in Macbeth, took control of Macbeth s mind. They were able to have power over his thought process with their witchcraft. Macbeth was able to do nothing but follow their temptations. King hereafter is what he became; yet he had to pay a huge debt for his decisions.

Shakespeare s uses of supernatural elements were the cause of the turning points and denouements of the plays. Both of his use of supernatural realms had represented hell. The ghost, itself, was from hell and the witches were embodiments of evil with Satan. The destruction of Hamlet and Macbeth can only be comparable through the aspect of the supernatural involvement, though each chose to follow the wickedness differently. It can be concluded that hell, ghosts, and witchcraft are all factors that donate to the death of Hamlet and Macbeth.