William Shakespeare

Perhaps the most famous author in the English language, William Shakespeare lived in England from around 1564 to around 1616. Shakespeare is most famous for writing plays, but he also wrote poetry.

While not exactly an author who focused on paranormal topics, William Shakespeare did have paranormal subject matter as central points of some of his most significant plays.

In both plays the paranormal characters do not have many lines, yet do directly influence actions taken by the main character.



The play Hamlet has Hamlet's fathers ghost urging Hamlet to seek revenge for his death.

Act 1, Scene 5

Enter Ghost and Hamlet

Hamlet Where wilt thou lead me? speak; I'll go no further.

Ghost Mark me.

Hamlet I will.

Ghost My hour is almost come, When I to sulphurous and tormenting flames Must render up myself.

Hamlet Alas, poor ghost!

Ghost Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing To what I shall unfold.

Hamlet Speak; I am bound to hear.

Ghost So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.

Hamlet What?

Ghost I am thy father's spirit, Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, And for the day confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid To tell the secrets of my prison-house, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, Thy knotted and combined locks to part And each particular hair to stand on end, Like quills upon the fretful porpentine: But this eternal blazon must not be To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O, list! If thou didst ever thy dear father love--

Hamlet O God!

Ghost Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

Hamlet Murder!

Ghost Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange and unnatural.

Hamlet Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge. Ghost I find thee apt; And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf, Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear: 'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forged process of my death Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father's life Now wears his crown.

Hamlet O my prophetic soul! My uncle!

Ghost Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,-- O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power So to seduce!--won to his shameful lust The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen: O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there! From me, whose love was of that dignity That it went hand in hand even with the vow I made to her in marriage, and to decline Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor To those of mine! But virtue, as it never will be moved, Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven, So lust, though to a radiant angel link'd, Will sate itself in a celestial bed, And prey on garbage. But, soft! methinks I scent the morning air; Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard, My custom always of the afternoon, Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, And in the porches of my ears did pour The leperous distilment; whose effect Holds such an enmity with blood of man That swift as quicksilver it courses through The natural gates and alleys of the body, And with a sudden vigour doth posset And curd, like eager droppings into milk, The thin and wholesome blood: so did it mine; And a most instant tetter bark'd about, Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust, All my smooth body. Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd: Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd, No reckoning made, but sent to my account With all my imperfections on my head: O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible! If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not; Let not the royal bed of Denmark be A couch for luxury and damned incest. But, howsoever thou pursuest this act, Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge, To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once! The glow-worm shows the matin to be near, And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire: Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me. Exit



The play Macbeth has three fortune telling witches, who prophesie that Macbeth will become king, which leads Macbeth to belive that he is destined to become king.

Act IV, Scene I A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron. Thunder. Enter the three Witches.

FIRST WITCH Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.

SECOND WITCH Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whin'd.

THIRD WITCH Harpier cries:?'tis time, 'tis time.

FIRST WITCH Round about the caldron go; In the poison'd entrails throw.? Toad, that under cold stone, Days and nights has thirty-one Swelter'd venom sleeping got, Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!

ALL Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire, burn; and caldron, bubble.

SECOND WITCH Fillet of a fenny snake, In the caldron boil and bake; Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,? For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

ALL Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire, burn; and caldron, bubble.

THIRD WITCH Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, Witch's mummy, maw and gulf Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark, Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark, Liver of blaspheming Jew, Gall of goat, and slips of yew Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse, Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips, Finger of birth-strangl'd babe Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,? Make the gruel thick and slab: Add thereto a tiger's chaudron, For the ingredients of our caldron.

ALL Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire, burn; and caldron, bubble.

SECOND WITCH Cool it with a baboon's blood, Then the charm is firm and good.

Enter Hecate

HECATE O, well done! I commend your pains; And everyone shall share i' the gains. And now about the cauldron sing, Like elves and fairies in a ring, Enchanting all that you put in. (Song. Black spirits and white, red spirits and gray; Mingle, mingle, mingle, you that mingle may.) Exit Hecate

SECOND WITCH By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:? Open, locks, whoever knocks!

Enter Macbeth.

MACBETH How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! What is't you do?

ALL A deed without a name.

MACBETH I conjure you, by that which you profess,? Howe'er you come to know it,?answer me: Though you untie the winds, and let them fight Against the churches; though the yesty waves Confound and swallow navigation up; Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown down; Though castles topple on their warders' heads; Though palaces and pyramids do slope Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure Of nature's germins tumble all together, Even till destruction sicken,?answer me To what I ask you.

FIRST WITCH Speak.

SECOND WITCH Demand.

THIRD WITCH We'll answer.

FIRST WITCH Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths, Or from our masters?

MACBETH Call 'em, let me see 'em.

FIRST WITCH Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten Her nine farrow; grease that's sweaten From the murderer's gibbet throw Into the flame.

ALL Come, high or low; Thyself and office deftly show!

Thunder. An Apparition of an armed Head rises.

MACBETH Tell me, thou unknown power,?

FIRST WITCH He knows thy thought: Hear his speech, but say thou naught.

APPARITION Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife.?Dismiss me:?enough.

Descends.

MACBETH Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks; Thou hast harp'd my fear aright:?but one word more,?

FIRST WITCH He will not be commanded: here's another, More potent than the first.

Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises.

APPARITION Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

MACBETH Had I three ears, I'd hear thee.

APPARITION Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth.

Descends.

MACBETH Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee? But yet I'll make assurance double sure, And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live; That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, And sleep in spite of thunder.?What is this,

Thunder. An Apparition of a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand, rises.

That rises like the issue of a king, And wears upon his baby brow the round And top of sovereignty?

ALL Listen, but speak not to't.

APPARITION Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be, until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him.

Descends.

MACBETH That will never be: Who can impress the forest; bid the tree Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements, good! Rebellion's head, rise never till the wood Of Birnam rise, and our high-plac'd Macbeth Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath To time and mortal custom.?Yet my heart Throbs to know one thing: tell me,?if your art Can tell so much,?shall Banquo's issue ever Reign in this kingdom?

ALL Seek to know no more.

MACBETH I will be satisfied: deny me this, And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know:? Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?

Hautboys.

FIRST WITCH Show!

SECOND WITCH Show!

THIRD WITCH Show!

ALL Show his eyes, and grieve his heart; Come like shadows, so depart!

Eight kings appear, and pass over in order, the last with a glass in his hand; Banquo following.

MACBETH Thou are too like the spirit of Banquo; down! Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs:?and thy hair, Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first;? A third is like the former.?Filthy hags! Why do you show me this??A fourth!?Start, eyes! What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom? Another yet!?A seventh!?I'll see no more:? And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass Which shows me many more; and some I see That twofold balls and treble sceptres carry: Horrible sight!?Now I see 'tis true; For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me, And points at them for his.?What! is this so?

FIRST WITCH Ay, sir, all this is so:?but why Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?? Come,sisters, cheer we up his sprites, And show the best of our delights; I'll charm the air to give a sound, While you perform your antic round; That this great king may kindly say, Our duties did his welcome pay.

Music. The Witches dance, and then vanish.

MACBETH Where are they? Gone??Let this pernicious hour Stand aye accursed in the calendar!? Come in, without there!