Understanding Fear in Macbeth

Fear and the Supernatural

The witches immediately create an atmosphere of dread in the play. Banquo describes them as having beards despite appearing to be women, which would have been deeply unsettling for Shakespeare's audience who expected clear gender roles.

Macbeth's physical reaction to their prophecies shows just how terrified he is of his own dark thoughts. His hair stands on end and his heart pounds unnaturally - clear signs that the idea of murder both excites and horrifies him.

Lady Macbeth represents a different kind of fear - she's afraid her husband is "too full o'th milk of human kindness" to seize power. She fears he lacks the ruthless nature needed to commit regicide, which ironically shows her own desperation for power.

Quick Tip: Notice how Shakespeare uses physical descriptions of fear (racing hearts, standing hair) to show characters' inner turmoil - this makes abstract emotions concrete for the audience.

Fear After the Murder

Once Macbeth kills Duncan, his fear transforms into crippling guilt and paranoia. He can't even bear to look at what he's done, showing how the divine right of kings weighs heavily on his conscience.

Banquo becomes Macbeth's greatest fear because he knows about the witches' prophecies. Macbeth realises that Banquo could expose him or that Banquo's descendants might take the throne, making him a constant threat.

The lexical field of entrapment appears when Macbeth feels "cabined, cribbed, confined" by his fears. Sleep becomes impossible, and every meal is eaten in terror - showing how fear has completely taken over his daily life.

Fear has essentially imprisoned Macbeth in his own mind. What started as ambition has become a nightmare he can't escape from.

Remember: Track how Macbeth's language changes from confident soldier to paranoid king - Shakespeare uses this to show fear's destructive power.

Historical Context and Fear

Regicide was considered the ultimate crime in Shakespeare's time because people believed in the divine right of kings. Going against God's chosen ruler wasn't just treason - it was seen as defying God himself.

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 had recently shocked England when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up King James I and Parliament. Shakespeare was essentially using Macbeth as a warning about what happens to those who commit treason.

King James I was fascinated by witchcraft and even wrote a book called "Daemonologie" about it. Shakespeare cleverly included supernatural elements to both flatter the king and tap into real fears his audience had about witches and evil spirits.

The play works as both entertainment and political propaganda, showing that betraying your rightful king leads to madness, death, and damnation.

Exam Tip: Always link the supernatural elements to the historical context - this shows you understand why Shakespeare's original audience would have found the witches so terrifying.