1) According to the audience of the era, everything in the world had its fixed position by God: In Heaven God ruled over the archangels and angels. Society down on earth reflected this order with its fixed classes from the highest to the lowest – kings, churchmen, nobles, merchants, and peasants. This chain was called the Great Chain of Being. One example where Shakespeare demonstrates that there are both consequences and rewards for those who work to disrupt or restore the natural, political and social Chain of Being is seen in act 2 scene 4. In this scene the actions lead by Macbeth to climb the Great Chain of Being by killing Duncan were considered, to the audience of the time, an act against god. As god is on the top of the Chain of being the audience knows that when Macbeth has killed the King there would be consequences. It was believed that god ruled over the earth and so the nature itself. The murder of the king causes the disturbance of the Great Chain and so God’s way of punishment to show that there was unnatural behaviour seen on earth, he causes the disruption of the natural world. The Old Man and Ross both notice the behavior of animals:

“On Tuesday last,
A falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place,
Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed.” Act 2 scene 4 line 11
Ross reply’s agreeing he saw strange things as well he says;
“And Duncan’s horses—a thing most strange and certain—
Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,
Turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,
Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would
Make war with mankind.” (Act 2 scene 4 lines 13-18)

They explain how a hawk was killed by an owl and how Duncan’s horses, which are usually very swift and beautiful, started to run wild. This is one of the many examples which demonstrate the consequences and rewards for meddling with to the Great Chain that Shakespeare incorporates throughout the play. Again and again, wherever evil is present, the natural, social and political world reacts accordingly.

2) The Great Chain of Being represents the social order of the time. Anything that is outside the chain was believed to bring about chaos, madness or/and evil. An unlisted rule of the chain was that those from a class would socialize with only their class. For example; nobles would socialize with other nobles and the peasants would socialize amongst themselves. Any act to do otherwise was seen as an act of disobedience. The main purpose of the chain was to create order. They believed anyone who went outside their social class would suffer dire consequences. Another example where where Shakespeare demonstrates that there are both consequences and rewards for those who work to disrupt or restore the natural, political and social Chain of Being is seen in act 4 scene 1. In Shakespeare’s time witches and witchcraft were believed to be evil – they were associated with darkness and death. To socialize with them was a serious act against god and the Great Chain of Being. Witches were believed to be outside of the Chain of Being because they were believed to be women who sold their souls to the devil. Also, witches were believed to be able to see into the future and so Macbeth seeks them out;
“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 yeasty waves
Confound and swallow navigation up,
Though bladed corn be lodged 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 germens tumble all together,
Even till destruction sicken, answer me
To what I ask you.” (Act 4 scene 1 lines 50-61)
Macbeth’s action to willingly seek out the witches was a serious crime against both god and the chain. Macbeth was in a higher class then the witches and so socializing with them was breaking one of the rules of the chain. In consequence the audience know that he will ultimately fall, as the punishment for interacting with the witches. The witches have a strong effect on Macbeth's character; they highly influence him in his accomplishments and awake his ambitions. They give Macbeth a false sense of security with their apparitions of truths. This causes Macbeth to put his guard down consequently ending with his demise by the hand of Macduff.