Question paper: Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel – June 2018

Introduction

Shakespeare’s play Macbeth heavily emphasises the supernatural. The play investigates Macbeth and Banquo’s and Banquo’s perspectives on the supernatural. Shakespeare uses the paranormal to build suspense and lend the play a sense of mystery. This essay will examine how Shakespeare depicts Macbeth and Banquo’s perspectives on the paranormal.

Attitudes of Macbeth towards the supernatural

As the play opens, Macbeth is a devoted and honourable warrior who has just triumphed in a conflict on behalf of King Duncan. But after he meets the witches, he starts to have a different perspective on the paranormal. The witches’ prediction that he will become king intrigues him, and he begins to see the paranormal as a tool for achieving his objectives. Throughout the course of the play, Macbeth becomes more and more dependent on the paranormal, turning to the witches for advice and consulting with apparitions.