Effects of the Supernatural

Essay by richcatUniversity, Bachelor'sA-, January 2008

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The supernatural is that which cannot be explained by the laws of nature, such as gods, ghosts, and magic. In today’s well-educated culture, it seems as if the belief in the supernatural is slowly diminishing. Even though the supernatural is not as prominent in today’s society, its presence has played a major role in many civilizations. An estimated 30,000 women, men and children were executed in Germany and France alone on suspicion of witchcraft. The existence of witchcraft and supernatural forces is hard to grasp in modern society but after reading Oedipus Rex, Medea, and Macbeth, one may be able to understand how the supernatural affected societies and the people of their time. In this essay, I will be examining how witches, ghosts, gods and prophecies influenced the characters and plots within the assigned reading.

The supernatural is often used in plays to create drama and foreshadowing. This is done by giving the reader a glimpse into a character’s future.

Oracles, prophecies and witches are a few of the supernatural forces that are used to create drama and foreshadowing within the assigned reading.

Oedipus Rex is the story of a king who is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Early in the play, an oracle tells Oedipus he is doomed. By providing the reader with this information, a sense of drama and anticipation is created. Throughout the play, readers expect these dramatic events to happen.

Later in Odeipus’s life, when the city is struck by a plague, Oedipus sends Creon to the Oracle at Delphi hoping figure out how to save his city. Creon returns and states that murderer of Laius, former king of Thebes, is in the city and once the killer is captured, then the plague will diminish.

Oedipus, being an honorable king, is interested...