Use of Dramatic Poetry in "Macbeth"

William Shakespeare uses the passage of poetry in Act I, scene iii, lines 127-42 to dramatize the tragic and supernatural aspects of the action in "Macbeth." The passage delineates the action in the play by raising the questions of morality and honor that Macbeth will face and to which he will fall victim. It makes clear that Macbeth has a choice about which path he may choose to follow after the witches' prophecy. However, it also raises the question of the double-edged nature of ambition and the uncertainty of vision that can lead from blind ambition.

Macbeth begins the passage by stating that "[t]wo truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme" (I. iii. 127-29). He is referring to the witches' three-fold prophecy that he shall be first thane of Glamis, then thane of Cawdor, and then King of Scotland. When the first two prophecies come to pass, Macbeth is faced with the question of how the third could come to pass while Duncan, the present King of Scotland, is living with two sons to serve as heirs. But more than the mechanics of such an ascension, Macbeth is faced with the question of why such a prophecy would be revealed to him. Why would the witches stimulate his ambition to such a position?

Macbeth is forced to question that "[t]his supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill, cannot be good" (I. iii. 130-31). For if it is ill, why would the witches, who represent the supernatural forces o

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hing is But what is not" (I. iii. 141-42). The witches appear as supernatural forces. However, while they are that, they also serve as forces that invert the nature of man. Macbeth, undoubtedly had a choice whether he would kill Duncan or not. Tragically, he chose to murder him and thus inverted his honorable nature with his evil ambition. In addition, Macbeth's murder of Duncan is an inversion of the natural relationship between a king and his subjects. Thus, nothing in the play appears as it is. The witches appear as supernatural forces but are actually the forces of Macbeth's own nature. Macbeth appears to be an honorable, loyal subject and is actually the king's murderer. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. "Macbeth." William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. New York: Dorset Press, 1988. 858-84. Man and the Supernatural in Hamlet, King Lear, and The Tempest In "Hamlet," "King Lear," and "The Tempest," William Shakespeare uses supernatural elements and man's relation to such elements to explore and illustrate the nature and natural hierarchy of man, particularly as these elements affect the forces of nature. In each play, the inversion of the natural hierarchy of man is reflected in the play's actions by
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Approximate Word count = 1634
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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