By JH Sayyar
Supernatural elements play an important role in tragedies and are considered most important part of all tragedies. A great tragedy without supernatural elements is useless. First of all supernatural elements were used by a Roman writer Seneca in literary works to expose all lurking elements by the mouth of the supernatural beings. These elements play an important role to change the internal atmosphere of the hero’s mind that cannot be seen by human eye. So we say that it create hallucination in the hero’s mind.
As we know Shakespeare is the product of the Elizabethan age. All the Elizabethan people believe in the witches and witchcraft. On the other hand King James wrote a book on Demonology. He believes in that the appearance of the ghost or any other supernatural being on the earth demands a serious consideration. Most of the writers used supernatural elements in his plays for a special purpose. Among who Shakespeare is one of the most prominent writers who used supernatural elements in his plays as in Macbeth, Julius Caeser and Hamlet.
In Macbeth the appearance of the three witches before the General Macbeth and Banquo who welcomes them and they prophesied that Macbeth would be a king in future. So their prediction proved true. In Julius Caeser before the assassination of Caeser the appearance of the solitary night bird, fire looses it burning quality, clouds were dropping fire instead of rain, and the graves were vomiting their dead bodies. So there was mysterious situation in Rome. These supernatural elements inform about the coming danger for the seers
As we see that Shakespeare uses it in his famous play Hamlet: the appearance of the Late King hamlet’s ghost in warlike dress before Marcilus and Bernado and Horatio at the platform at zero hour. It creates the atmosphere of mystery in the play first in the seers’s mind and then in Hamlet’s mind. Horatio considered it an impending catastrophe in Denmark because the Prince of Norway, Fortinbras was collecting weapons. While Bernado thinks that the King Hamlet’s ghost wanted to talk to Prince Hamlet about the Denmark affairs because prince Hamlet was not taking interest in country affairs.
Accordingly they inform Hamlet about his father’s ghost arrival at the platform. So Hamlet’s meeting with the ghost changes his mind completely. Thus in Hamlet ‘s mind is the atmosphere of mystery and fearfulness. Because the said:
“I am thy father’s spirit
To tell the secret of my prison hour
I t is given out, sleeping in my orchard
A serpent stung me
The serpent that did sting thy father’s life
Now wears the crown.”
And at that time Hamlet’s reply was,” The serpent my Uncle.” This mystery haunts Hamlet’s mind forever. After this Hamlet is seen in antic disposition and Horatio is forbidden to tell the secret to others. Now the atmosphere is full of mystery and fear from the beginning till end. Here C. S. Lewis says, “ The world of Hamlet is such as a world in which everyone has lost his way what to do or what not to do including Prince Hamlet, Horatio, Bernado and Marcilus.” Hamlet’s antic disposition proves a second ghost that upsets the whole atmosphere of the play. Everyone is chasing one another. For this purpose Hamlet arranges a play within the play to justify the ghost’s words, “ I am thy father’s spirit.
” Now Hamlet says to Horatio, “ O good Horatio shall take
Ghost’s words for a thousand pound! Didst perceive?”
On the other hand Claudius was also spying young Hamlet to kill him secretly. He has made several attempts to kill him but every time he fails like Hamlet does. Gertrude is also upset due to Hamlet’s behavior. Here Larry Wilson says.’ Every person spying one another but all fail to understand Hamlet’s causes of madness.” It is a fact that Hamlet is more upset than any other person in the play. Nevertheless, he does not lose his sense of understanding and also wit. Therefore Ophelia exclaimed in these words about Hamlet’s behavior:
“The glass of a fashion and the mould of form
The observer of all observers…
That sucked the honey of music vows.”
To sum up, the end of the play is mysterious and fearful. Polonius has already been killed and Gertrude tires to make suicide by drinking the glass of poison. On the other hand Ophelia drowns in the lake in her father’s shock, his wrong planning kills Claudius. Here George Smith says, “The mysterious and fearful atmosphere in the play is due to King Hamlet’s ghost who is responsible for all deaths.” First the ghost snatches Hamlet’s wit creating doubts in his mind and then compels him to take his revenge from his Uncle. So supernatural elements control all the play from the beginning till end. If we exclude Prince ‘s Hamlet’s ghost from the play, the play will lose its interest will break its unity. Sometimes supernatural elements represent the hero’s self-created hallucinations that play an important role in the play.
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I very much believe in supernatural power in real life. I believe the dead can come back to the earth as normal humans and I also believe they can come to the earth as ghosts.
I believe ghost has power to to do things in real life. I even believe ghosts can kill humans. I believe dead people can inform people via dreams and also believes people can die after seeing a dead man alive.
Although I have never seen them before but I very much think they exist because I have heard many stories about them from my parents and other old men and women in the village.
I also believe in magical powers and I think it exists to the core. I believe people can move something without direct contact with it.
I believe also that with the use of magic, one in Africa can kill someone on Asia.
I believe in God who's a supernatural being, I believe a spoken word(a praywr) to ones creator travels to the creator and he hears it and grant our request.
Having faith is also supernatural, that is believing undoubtedly something that is unlikely to happen.
In fact he who doesn't believe the world is supernatural itself doesn't have a creator
It is not me but those around me that believe in supernatural powers. Our religion has stopped us from further analysis of this rather evading subject.
i think, you believe in supernatural elements in practical life bible if full of supernatural elements for example, Jesus Christ expelled evil spirit from the human body and when they ordered to leave the body they ran and people used to see them with their physical eyes.
Your mind is full of super natural elements but we do not think for a while. Appearing horrible creatures in dreams are called super natural elements. Births of such peoples that are not normal are super natural beings.
Those who say we do not believe in super natural beings are those who unknowingly accept their physical existence on earth.
I believe it's possible I mean look around you this life is full.of unanswered questions this is a big world and is full.of good and evil spirts I like to think one working for us and the other against us
There are count less veil powers and good powers we call it negative forces and positive forces are working side by side with man. It is called the conflict of human mind. When man is born he gets two angels a good angle and a bad angle.
Sometimes bad angles tame men and sometimes men tame good angle and bad angles both of them. Sometimes they appears as bad angels are called super natural elements on earth.
Good angels protect man and evil angels mar human beings using their negative forces via brain power in negative works and deeds injurious to men and societies of the whole world.
Now I tell you how recognize good and bad angels. Both types of angels live in human minds in shape of conceptions. If your conceptions are good and useful for society means you are under the influence of good angels but if your concepts are injurious to the society means you are under the influence of bad angels. Therefore check you notions 24 hours to protect your being from the influence of bad angels.
Supernatural things are those which have no scientific validity.
Though Shakespeare depicts the supernatural things like Witches Witchcraft ,ghosts etc., in his plays they were the beliefs existing in the society of Elizabethan age. Here lies his technique in moulding the character of personality in his plays. He took the help of beliefs prevailing in the society and build a character.
Even in these modern days, there are still some people who believe in Ghosts and Omen. In France, the crossing of a Black cat is not good. What do they not think is how has a cat to do with your work ?
I personally do not believe such things. They are only some effective gadgets to make some money by the illiterates.
There are seven principles working in the whole universe even in man. I will try to understand you what are super natural elements and how they work and what scientists say about them.
Supernatural elements belong to the sixth law of nature. The principle of cause and effect. Keep in mind there is no cause without and there is effect without cause in the whole universe even in man;s body.
We may say in simple words that every effect has its cause and every cause has its effect and nothing beyond it. There is no chance of name it someone fails tracing its cause it is called chance.
Burmuda Triangle is a supernatural element but was not introduced in any plays or films. Heavy flood and storms are the best example to understand the super natural elements.
Scientists have seen recently flying creatures in the sky and Japan's Sony company that makes camera has put some camera on the tree and noted some mysterious creatures coming and going on every tree.. looking at the sight the team wondered.
Sometimes these creatures appear on earth with order of God and people see them are called supernatural elements.
Yes, part of me believes that these elements exist in this world but we cannot just see them but part of me don't want to believe these supernatural thing. Maybe they are part of our world and just living with other dimension, just like aliens living in other part of the universe. But of course, science don't really have say about this thing because its not there genre.