Shakespeare Magic and Supernatural Occurances Essay

Magic and supernatural occurrences in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard III, and The Tempest are used to create a surreal world to confuse and resolve conflicts in each play. Magic provides the audience with an escape from reality and the comfort of the play’s unrealistic nature. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a love potion from a magical flower is used and misused to provide comic relief and resolution to love’s difficulties, supernatural ghosts are used to condemn a horrific murderer in Richard III to ensure his downfall and deserved death and finally, magic from Prospero’s book in The Tempest is used for his righteous revenge and harmony amongst the characters. The Duke of Athens, Theseus, states, â€Å"the best in this kind†¦show more content†¦In Act V, scene v, the 11 ghosts whom he has murdered bombard dreaming Richard. Each ghost stops to speak to him to condemn him for his or her death and the ghost of Bucking ham tells Richard of his soon fate of, â€Å"d[ying] in terror of thy guiltiness!† (V.v. 124). The ghosts then proceed to sleeping Richmond, telling him that they will be by his side and he will rule England and be the gather of a race of kings. Terrified, Richard wakes up and presents a soliloquy displaying his first presence of humane thoughts and feelings. Revealing self doubt, conscious, and regret for his horrendous actions, he states, â€Å"what do I fear? Myself? There’s none else by. / Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I. / Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am† (V.v. 136-138). Richard is seized with the renowned horror when he realizes that he is the most dangerous person he could be left alone with. He then recalls upon an interesting idea after he discovered a way to flee from the situation, â€Å"Why? / Lest I revenge. Myself upon myself?† (V.v. 139-140). After second guessing himself due to supernatural ghosts, he is visited again by a m ysterious inner demon from which even he is not safe. He then moves past this thought by stating that he loves himself, but realizes that it is an impossible thought because he has never done any loving acts, just hateful, villainous murders. In the first speech of theShow MoreRelated Comparing Shakespeares Play, Hamlet and Miltons Play, Samson Agonistes2511 Words   |  11 Pagesawakening of his mind is a difficult one in that he is constantly forced to doubt all that his senses tell him and every conclusion that his reason makes from them. He is sometimes unsure whether or not he ought to trust himself, but this is a normal occurance because his mind is being reborn and still must prove to him its steadfast nature. In Samson Agonistes, there are several direct and indirect references to the awakening of Samsons mind and to his trust in his self as opposed to placing his fate