Although Macbeth is not classified as being a supernatural play or an occult play, there are certain elements in the play that Shakespeare uses to perform. It is, however, necessary to define what is meant by the terms "occult" and "supernatural": the term "occult" is defined as "supernatural beliefs, practices or phenomena" and the term "supernatural" is defined as being “attributed to a force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature”; both of these terms can be associated with Gothic writing. Gothic writing usually involves elements that evoke a feeling of fear, revulsion, and horror from its readers or audience. Writers use images of the supernatural to achieve this effect, for example in Shelley's Frankenstein, the descriptions of Frankenstein's creature: language and images are used here to invoke the emotion of fear. In the opening scene of Macbeth, Shakespeare presents the audience with “a damn heather.” " At this moment enter the three witches. This dramatic opening of the play immediately sets the tone for the opening scene and the appearance of the witches further contributes to this dramatic effect. The first sentence of Macbeth is: "When will the three of us meet again? Under thunder, lightning or rain? Using the weather conditions “thunder, lightning and rain” allows the audience to associate the negative emotions caused by this weather with the witches' characters. To an Elizabethan audience, these witches would have seemed extremely frightening, as women were burned at the stake after being accused of being witches. However, nowadays we are desensitized to elements of the supernatural such as witches, hence the effect. sought by Shakespeare would have less impact on a modern audience than...... middle of paper ...... having a serious impact on the audience by invoking fear and terror These supernatural elements, combined with the use. language and possible staging by Shakespeare, will have a dramatic effect on the audience as Shakespeare intended. In conclusion, supernatural elements feature in Macbeth, from witches to apparitions and daggers. The only occult elements present in Macbeth, if we stick to the definition given, are the witches' characters. For the dramatic effect that Shakespeare intended the play to have on his audience, which it did before an Elizabethan audience, then a large amount of stagecraft will have to be applied regarding costumes, sets and props. CitedOxford Dictionary of English: Catherine Soanes, Editor (OUP, 2005)Macbeth: William Shakespeare (CollinsEducational, 1995)