Examples Of Natural And Unnatural Events In Macbeth

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Unnatural events are a pervasive and unavoidable calamity which occurs in all of William Shakespeare’s writings, expanding from his dramas to his typically joyful comedies. In Macbeth however, they are a constant contretemp which must be avoided unless a character wishes to fall to certain ruin. They take a number of forms, from the obvious and vile witches, to the slight subtlety of the birds. Despite this, they all do well to juxtapose reality’s depictions of natural and unnatural events. In Act one of Macbeth, the devious nuances of Shakespeare’s writing is completely disposed of as unnatural events blatantly manifest as witches, apparitions, and physical urges to do wrong. The witches are strange mystical beings who can predict the future, …show more content…
One of the most interesting turns in purpose is Macbeth’s willingness to kill the young Fleance. Initially opposed to the thought, Lady Macbeth carefully convinces Macbeth that all lives are borrowed from nature, and must one day be returned. She says, "But in them nature's copy's not eterne." (3.2.38) However this idea that the body is natural, and therefore must be given up, has corrupted its true nature, and has created another unnatural reality. A reality that Macbeth can now use to justify his morally reprehensible deeds. He does this again after he becomes king, and holds a banquet in celebration. There, he sees the ghost of banquo, who Macbeth ordered to have killed shortly after becoming king. After telling Lady Macbeth, he tries to defend his honor, …show more content…
He is now willing to risk the land of Scotland itself, just so he can continue to predict his fate. He doesn’t care for even the most delicate parts of nature, and should they be destroyed he would not object. Here he is shown three apparitions, each of which predict his coming days. These apparitions bolster his confidence, however it is the fourth spectral sequence that unsettles Macbeth the most. It is a line of eight kings, and at the end is Banquo. Macbeth is horrified, and demands that he sink like the rest of them, however he is forced to look, because even though he has done many unnatural things, he does not have the ability to control
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