of the ‘clowns’, and others, Shakespeare further creates a jovial atmosphere” (Hodura 1).
In The Tempest the supernatural is, as in many of Shakespeare’s plays, symbolic. While its forces are really felt by those in its midst, it represents throughout the play the all-encompassing, all-powerful, nature that seems to be in league with Prospero. The supernatural elements in this play are more threatening and frightful than the jovial ones of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but they are whimsical because they represent nature and seem to play capriciously with men’s lives rather than fatally, as in Hamlet, and, as we shall see later, Macbeth. We also see mystical, magical elements that serve men well, like when the ship is magically restored and Prospero’s use of his magical capacity to free Ariel from her arboreal prison.
As frightful as the ghost of Hamlet’s father may, the supernatural is nowhere as integral a part of the play as it is in Macbeth. The supernatural is indeed instrumental in Macbeth’s fall, mainly because it represents the dark or evil side of man. The supernatural forces in Macbeth are just waiting to glom on to a sucker like Macbeth, whose vaulting ambition o’erleaps itself right into their hands. While some might argue that the supernatural elements overwhelm and cause Macbeth to commit evil deeds, we only need look at Banquo to see this is not so. Banquo, a good man, does not heed the words of the witches. It does not affect his demeanor. Macbeth, however, since he perceives the witches interference to be of profound significance to his own plans, is greatly changed by their appearance. This is because he is so ambitious to become king that he immediately views the words of the witches, and the three prophecies that they will reveal to him, as being a good omen for his ill-intentions. The influence of the supernatural allows Macbeth to toss out from his soul any remaining traces of...