Topic > William Shakespeare's application of the supernatural in his plays

William Shakespeare applies the supernatural to develop a timeless commentary on societies in his plays. During the Elizabethan era, the period was defined by a coherent and enduring Great Chain of Being that convinced people of negative and unethical views regarding the supernatural. Reading Shakespeare's works on the paranormal, namely thrilling works such as Julius Caesar, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream, the concept of tragedies and comedies demonstrates the dark side of human character which adds prominent value to his works. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The works of William Shakespeare convince the community to have unethical opinions about the supernatural. Shakespeare regularly demonstrates the abnormal through sinister characters, namely witches. An example of this is identified in his familiar play, Macbeth, in which the Witch 1 announces "I come, Graymalkin!" Shakespeare refers to Graymalkin as Witch 1's familiar, a powerful animal entity that helps witches utilize their potential. This shows that witches associated themselves with particular animals, making them seem different in the eyes of other citizens. Furthermore, Shakespeare further convinced people of unethical views on the supernatural. In Act 1 Scene 1, Witch 2 states "Paddock Calls", in which she was referring to her toad familiar to her fellow witches. This shows that witches associate with whimsical animals to draw power, generating negative views against them. Furthermore, a third and final witch is used to express the paranormal in a sinister perspective. In Act 1 Scene 1, Witch 3 points out "Anon" meaning "I'll be right there" to her familiar, a spirit. With this evidence, we can deduce that witches associated with otherworldly family members and thus society developed unethical views about them and the supernatural. Reading Shakespeare's works on comedy, one can notice the dark side of human nature. It demonstrates the disreputable perspective of human nature through seemingly innocent characters, especially the fairies. This can be identified in his work A Midsummer Night's Dream. In Act 2 Scene 2, Oberon squeezes flower juice over Titania's eyes and sings, “What you do. Do it for your true love.” Oberon's intentions were to make Titania fall in love with the first thing she saw and now with what she herself would have liked to love. This reflects the dark perspective of human nature through Oberon's actions as a fairy. Furthermore, Shakespeare applied sinister attributes of human personality in his works. After Oberon sings, he further sings “Love and languish for his sake. When you wake up he is your dear.” When analyzed this means protecting and nurturing the first thing it sees. This sinful act of Oberon forces Titania to blindly cultivate something without his approval. This expressed the sinister aspect of the mortal attitude. Furthermore, Shakespeare further depicts wrongdoings in his plays. In Act 2 Scene 2, after Oberon recites an incantation, he ends the incantation with "Awake when something vile is near." Oberon's intentions were to force Titania to unknowingly love something creepy without his permission. The purpose of this reflection is to teach his audience to perform virtuous actions, increasing the universal value of his works. In all of Shakespeare's works, it is possible to identify the dark side of human character, especially in tragedies. It portrays him through supernatural characters, viz.