ANT Forum

Something strange happened during a reread of Macbeth last weekend that really stuck with me. I’ve read it before in school, but this time, the whole supernatural vibe — the witches, the prophecies, the hallucinations — felt so much more intense and central to the story. It got me thinking: Shakespeare didn’t just use the supernatural as a side element; sometimes it drives the whole plot. Now I’m wondering how he handled mysticism and magical stuff across his other plays too. Is there a structured way to research this kind of theme in his works? I'm thinking of writing something about how the supernatural changes the characters' choices, but not sure where to start.      

I’ve actually looked into this for a college project! What helped me most was seeing how Shakespeare used different types of supernatural stuff to explore fear, fate, and control — like the ghosts in Hamlet or the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Each one has a totally different purpose. For organizing your ideas, this guide gave me a good head start: https://www.customwritings.com/howtowrite/post/shakespeare-research-paper-topics/ It br.eaks down specific angles you can take when studying mystical elements in Shakespeare. I focused on how the supernatural often appears when characters are uncertain or vulnerable, which made for a cool thesis.
     

Totally get what you mean, Macbeth’s supernatural stuff isn’t just decoration; it really fuels the drama and characters’ decisions. For digging into this across Shakespeare’s plays, I’d start by looking at key supernatural scenes in other works like The Tempest or A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Then check out scholarly essays or books on “Shakespeare and the supernatural” to see how critics interpret these themes. JSTOR or Google Scholar are great for finding focused research. Also, mapping how magic or prophecy impacts characters’ actions in different plays could give your writing a solid framework. It’s a cool angle that highlights how much those mystical elements shape the story, not just add spooky vibes.