Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth - Purpose of the...

The Purpose of the Witches in Macbeth One purpose for having the witches in Shakespeares play, Macbeth, is to make a comparison between Macbeths conscious world and Macbeths unconscious, dream world. In this essay, I will touch upon Sigmund Freuds theories of dreams and the unconscious, and consider the nature of the witches and their relationship with Macbeth. I will also explore the relationship between witches and society, and conclude the essay by considering other roles of the witches in the play. Sigmund Freud had a theory on dreams and the unconscious, which I believe, applies to Macbeth. Sigmund in 1923 proposed a new dynamic model of the human psyche. He believed that our brain was divided into three†¦show more content†¦The witches all chant and speak in rhyme and riddle , which is a traditional feature of a seventeenth century real witch. There are three witches. The witches as well as being typical of real witches in the seventeenth century are also disorderly and chaotic like dreams , they both do not keep to spatial reality or time, there are both blurry you never seem to see the full picture , they both show some connection to real life because the witches seem to show what Macbeth desires are and how he can get the, just like a fantasy dream might show what we want and desire. What Macbeth wants is more power and more power for him is to become the king and the witches just like our dreams would present us with what it would be like but the witches go furth er than dreams and tell him how he could obtain his desires. Both dreams and the witches are unrealistic, they do not conform to an ordinary structure. Macbeth lived in a hierarchical society where there is order. Macbeths society honours bravery. Men are warriors, the better warrior they are the better chance they have of being promoted in the assemblage. Macbeth was a great warrior and his value on the battle field meant Macbeth being given more power. Loyalty to the king and country is an immensely important value to a person in Macbeths society. In Macbeths society, a Woman is supposed to be attractive, passive and a good mother. The witches on the other hand are the total opposite; theyShow MoreRelatedRole of Supernatural in Shakespeares a Midsummer Nights Dream1547 Words   |  7 PagesWitches Brew and Fairy Dreams: A Genre Study of Shakespeares Use of the Supernatural (Penn State University, English 444.2: Spring 1998) by Fred Coppersmith Near the end of the opening scene of Macbeth, Shakespeares three Weird Sisters proclaim in unison that fair is foul, and foul is fair, providing us, as readers, with perhaps the best unders tanding of the plays theme and the tragic downfall of its central character. 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