Exploring the Development of Elizabethan and James Drama, with Reference to the Role of Supernatural in Shakespeare's Tragedy,

Abstract

This thesis aimed at exploring and analyzing of the role of supernatural in selected play by William Shakespeare. The study also investigated the role that supernatural plays in the play. The main purpose of the study was to analyse how Shakespeare uses supernatural in the selected play (Macbeth) to structure his play. The study investigated the consequences that befell the main character for following supernatural. The play is selected using purposive sampling and analysed using the content analysis method. In this study the researcher selected all the texts from the play with reference to supernatural. The study used the New Historical Criticism as the theoretical framework. This theory looks at a text by considering all the historical aspects that might have influenced the writer to write the type of text that he or she has written. The study reveals that Shakespeare uses supernatural elements such as witches, apparitions, prophecies, warnings and ghosts in his play to bring in some dramatic effects, chaos and confusion amongst the characters. It also reveals that the prophecies that used in the play were all warnings that meant for the main characters and came true in the end. It also reveals that the main characters reacted to the supernatural prophecies and warnings, Macbeth follows supernatural, in the end he is affected negatively. Based on the findings of the study, this study recommends that more studies should be done on some other elements used by Shakespeare in the same play as well as their effects on the characters, also it recommends that, the country should care about drama and the role which it play in the development of the societies . This study may be helpful to teachers and those who interested in Shakespeare's work especially in Sudan.