The Witches and the Supernatural in 'Macbeth'

In Act 3, Scene 4 of 'Macbeth', Shakespeare presents the supernatural as dark and evil creatures
through the use of common nouns.

• Once Macbeth has seen Banquo's spectre, Lady Macbeth compares the ghost of Banquo to that of a "dagger" which Macbeth mentioned seeing in Act I, Scene VI of the play. 
• The noun "dagger" signifies an intended weapon which would have been known to the audience thus creating an anxious effect because both a modern and contemporary audience would know what the weapon is and its purpose of usually causing harm. One might suggest, the comparison to the knife being akin to Banquo symbolises the danger coming to the Macbeth's thus creating an ominous effect as  a consequence of Macbeth committing regicide and murder.
• However, a modern audience might be weary because in the 1600s (1606 dated as the first performance of the play), it was common to witness death  as was was frequent unlike in modern western societies (last World War in 1948). The dark forces of the supernatural is illustrated as Shakespeare deliberately reveals Banquo as a "dagger" to make Macbeth's feel guilty for their actions and to remind them of the weapon which was used to kill Duncan.
• The common nature of the noun amplifies the Macbeth's common feeling of guilt as it is constantly reminding them of committing regicide; a Jacobean audience often would have perceived the King as God's chosen representative so the witches having lured Macbeth in to commit regicide which may even be considered a demonic act, portrays their evil intentions.

As opposed to the supernatural being perceived as ominous creatures, in the extract, Shakespeare portrays the supernatural as moral compasses to enhance the tremendous and might crime Macbeth ha committed through the use verbs.

• Banquo's appearance is met with shock by Lady Macbeth and Macbeth albeit Macbeth seems to remain brave as he demands that Banquo's spectre, which sits on Macbeth's chair should "speak" suggesting the ghost should make a noise and to communicate by it which may insinuate how Macbeth is failing to understand Banquo's presence, for he asks Banquo to use a form of communication. One might suggest Macbeth has become delusional in a sense that he can not make judgements anymore so a contemporary audience may be overcome by dread as the ghosts may be seen as those who rose from the dead to act as haunting poltergeists. Additionally, a modern audience might assume that the ghost is to make Macbeth to feel guilt over his action - to realise that a sin such a regicide with  lead to no good and due consequence. Thus, Shakespeare may use the witches to guide Macbeth although this backfires through Macbeth's power-hungry mien which contributes to his tragic flaw. However, James I, who was fascinated by witchcraft may have grown fond of the witches' benign presentation, for he would have been in the audience as a patron for Shakespeare's theatre company. Thus, Shakespeare's intention may have been to please his fellow audience member. 

EVALUATION: The witches are seen more evil and the audiences' prejudice towards the supernatural may bring forth a barrier which will stop them from seeing any good in the witches. 

Another way of demonstrating the point:

•   The imperative mood of the verb is only used once in the extract which suggests Macbeth's inferior position. He tries to kill Banquo which only makes him more powerless. A modern audience, with less prejudice towards the supernatural, may assume the witches as a moral compass because they show Macbeth the consequences of butchery perhaps as a deterrent to stop him from continuing with committing murder.

• Through the use of iambic pentameter shows how calm Macbeth is regardless. -----> 

In the play as a whole, the Supernatural are presented as manipulative beings that cause Macbeth's downfall as shown through the us eof adjectives and the form of Tragedy. The playwright refers to the witches as the "weird sisters" despite the word being used a a proper noun to show that the witches are "weird", the adjective "weird" may be interpreted by a modern audience as explicitly "weird" meaning unusual thus insinuating that all may not be as it seems, for they witches may be deemed as unpredictable. This creates an exciting effect because audience may be curious as to what the witches have in mind to do since the plot is difficult to determine. However, a Jacobean audience might feel consternation as the adjective "weird" is a derivative of the archaic term of "wyrd" in the English Language meaning 'fate'. Thus, this suggests to the audience that witches are able to essentially determine Macbeth's fate (future) which was ultimate death and loneliness (his comrades became his enemy, like Macduff). Moreover, Shakespeare's use of the three witches being described as "ugly" by Banquo, could foreshadow how their intentions for Macbeth's future as dark. The witches are not mentioned as "weird" initially which could be deliberate by Shakespeare to show that the witches are full ofawful contradictions ("fair is foul and foul is fair") and dangerous. One might suggest the manipulative nature of witches exposes Macbeth which leads him to his heroic downfall. Shakespeare's use of Tragedy ensures the best audience outcome (emotional catharsis) and even demonstrates how the audience can be manipulated by the witches like Macbeth.

In 'Macbeth', Shakespeare presents the witches as inhumane and unnatural. During the majority of Act IV, the metrical pattern the witches speak in is catalectic (lacking one syllable in the last foot) trochaic tetrameter. The witches speak in a truncated trochaic tetrameter. The final foot does not contain a final unstressed syllable but is left on a stressed syllable ("the brindled cat hath mewed"). The sound opposes the iambic pentameter used throughout the play which defines the witches and amplifies their unorthodox representation and emphasis in the play. King James I would have been in the audience as a patron for Shakespeare's theatre company. He was greatly interested in witchcraft and wrote a book on his finds called 'Daemonologie', thus Shakespeare would have fuelled his drive by making the witches sound peculiar and inhumane as they were contemporaneously perceived has having powers that humans did not have. This is reflected in the witches' ability to speak differently to humans. Iambic pentameter (which the most significant characters speak in the form of, like Macbeth) reflects the sound of the heart beat, which separates the witches from humans, as trochaic tetrameter does not mirror the sound of a heart beat.

Witches return before and after climax. Anything significant?