Shakespeare immediately started Macbeth with a supernatural scene. The three witches set the somber and evil tone of the plot. In Hamlet, Shakespeare also presented a supernatural occurrence close to the opening. The ghost of Hamlet's father presented itself to Hamlet with a chilling story. In both situations, the tragic hero was not sure whether the spirits were good or evil. The presentation of the supernatural began to lead to the final downfall of each …showed first 75 words of 257 total…

…showed last 75 words of 257 total…this vital piece of information, the final battle would never have taken place, and Hamlet would have lived. In both instances the characters gave into the nagging supernatural beliefs, and hence they lost their lives. It is evident that Shakespeare used a strong, similar story line in all of his tragedies. Apparently, Macbeth and Hamlet are similar stories in numerous ways. Shakespeare found a method that worked, would sell, and then he stuck with it.