Introduction
Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” ingeniously employs omens to assist the audience in predicting the fate or result of pivotal characters. The supernatural was an aspect of the plot structure used to add tension and drama to the occurrences and situations and manifested in various ways (Tossavainen). Birds, weather patterns, and blood have all been utilized as warnings. The paper will discuss two omens that are significantly meaningful, such as raven and owl.
Omens
In “Macbeth,” Shakespeare’s most renowned ominous owl emerges. Lady Macbeth is waiting for her husband, Duncan, to kill him when she hears a familiar cry: “It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, which gives the stern’st good-night” (Macbeth 2.2. 4-6). Later, a Scottish lord residing at the castle recalls Duncan’s murder and the “obscure bird” that “clamored the livelong night” (Macbeth 2.3. 67-68). The owl, a forerunner of the king’s death, is excellent news for Lady Macbeth but a grave warning for Duncan. Raven is also a vital omen; for instance, Lady Macbeth says that the bird “is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlement” (Macbeth 1.5 45-47). She sees the messenger as a symbol of death and murder. The raven flew fast to warn her that the king and her husband would be present that night. These birds can be messengers, mischievous, upholders of poor fortune, or even death (Tossavainen). Hence, people thought seeing a raven was inauspicious due to their habits of scavenging from rotting corpses or their peculiar sounds.
Conclusion
To conclude, the owl and raven were utilized as omens in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” The supernatural was a story construction element employed to create suspense and drama in events and situations. The owl, a precursor of the king’s death and a symbol of evil, brings good news to Lady Macbeth but terrible consequences to Duncan. Raven also signified end and murder, the bird that croaks upon Duncan’s fateful entry beneath Macbeth’s battlement.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Wordsworth Classics, 1992.
Tossavainen, Jere. “Supernatural Vs. Facts in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.”Specialisation in Literature, 2018. Web.