Weather in ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Julius Caesar’

Weather during Shakespeare’s time was different how we understand weather today. Weather was believed to be controlled by God or evil spirts. The witches were believed to cause the bad weather to happen. Shakespeare utilizes bad weather to describe what is happening in the plays. For example, stormy weather was associated with the death of Julius Caesar. Weather is just one of the many supernatural events that Shakespeare incorporates into his plays. 

In Julius Caesar, a series of strange supernatural events happen as the plan to kill Julius Caesar is coming together. The impossible seems to have happened with graves opening up, a lioness in the streets, men on fire, and ghosts. The night before Caesar’s death was very stormy. The supernatural is a recurring theme in all of Shakespeare’s plays.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the chaotic weather to whenever the witches appear in the scene. The weather was also very terrible before King Duncan’s death. Macbeth also has supernatural events leading up to the murder. Macbeth has a vision of a bloody dagger. This vision is strange because Macbeth can only see the dagger. His other senses do not seem to work. Macbeth even ponders if the dagger is even real.

Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy to the plays. The weather plays an important factor in setting the mood for the event and serves as a foreshadowing event. Shakespeare uses the supernatural in his plays because during his time, the people were extremely suspicious of the supernatural. Everything that is bad is blamed on the supernatural.

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