Naturally Unnatural

This is, of course, Erin. Happy New Year! *blasts confetti* What are some of your resolutions? Do you do resolutions?

I thought after my post on the Wednesday Wars, it was only fitting to have a review of a Shakespearean play. I chose Macbeth, which was quite an interesting read. Thought-provoking, too. I don’t read Shakespeare that often (though I do on occasion, and if you check out my books section you’ll find Mary, Queen of Scots: A Shakespearean-Style Play).

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Authors implement their themes throughout their stories in a variety of ways. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare builds the theme of natural versus the unnatural throughout the play, which captivates the readers and compels them to continue reading. Readers desire to know why the outrageous things are going on. Shakespeare emphasizes the theme of the natural versus the unnatural through long monologues and expressive imagery.

Shakespeare incites the theme of natural versus unnatural through the perverse monologues of the three weird sisters. At the beginning of the play, they speak in rhyme about meeting with Macbeth in order to bestow upon him a strange prophecy that would eventually change Macbeth’s whole outlook on life. Readers understand the oddity behind this as the “weird sisters, hand in hand” meet Macbeth and Banquo in order to cause Macbeth to be “wreck’d as homeward” (Act I, Scene iii, pp. 16). With the weird prophecy comes outlandish acts, and readers feel apprehensive as they study these strange happenings that cause Macbeth to commit murderous deeds. Additionally, Shakespeare accentuates the theme throughout Lady Macbeth’s strange speech. After Lady Macbeth learns about the prophecy, she speaks about strange things that should not be in the mind of a sane woman. She says that she wishes for someone to “make thick [her] blood” and “take [her] milk for gall” (Act I, scene v, pp. 32). The abnormality heightens as Lady Macbeth continues with her strange speech. Knowing that something is off, readers wonder what is going to happen when they peruse these stilted sayings. By strengthening the theme of natural versus unnatural with curious monologues, the author makes sure that the readers yearn to continue reading in order to learn what occurs because of these peculiar sayings.

Shakespeare also builds his theme of natural versus unnatural by using expressive imagery. As Macbeth begins his plans to murder the king, he begins to hallucinate. Readers better understand the abnormality behind Macbeth’s motives in killing the king when Macbeth imagines that he sees “a dagger...before [him]” that is a “false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain” (Act II, Scene i, pp. 47). With Macbeth hallucinating strange things, portentous feelings of apprehension fill the readers. They dread what the anomalous happenings foreshadow regarding the impending madness of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Later on, other characters in the play note the strange occurrences. When a gentlewoman finds a demented Lady Macbeth sleepwalking, she finds it so strange that Lady Macbeth “seem[s] thus washing her hands” and “[continuing] in this a quarter of an hour” (Act V, scene i, pp. 145). Readers begin to see that the unusual prophecy that led to Macbeth’s obscene actions has taken its toll on them. Because of their bizarre choices, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin to behave in ways that are incredibly wrong. By deliberately using expressive imagery, the author causes readers to understand the theme of natural versus unnatural better.

Because readers are apprehensive when it comes to the unnatural, they feel ominous feelings of foreboding as the abnormal happenings continue to occur. They realize that these odd happenings tie in with Scripture because of the eminent doom facing the Macbeths. In Jeremiah 30:12, the Lord says that their “hurt is incurable, and [their] wound is grievous” (Jeremiah 30:12, ESV). Furthermore, the Bible states that “uncleanness...destroys with a grievous destruction,” which is exactly what happened in Macbeth (Micah 2:10, ESV). Readers must read on to learn more about the theme of natural versus unnatural.

Bibliography

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth, Duke Classics, 2012, pp. 16, 32, 47, 145.

English Standard Bible, YouVersion, youversion.com/the-bible-app/.

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Have you read any of Shakespeare’s plays? If so, which ones? Comment below with your answer!