As individuals, we have a certain degree of control over our own lives and the decisions we make. While external factors such as social pressure, cultural norms, and personal circumstances can influence us, ultimately, we have agency in choosing how we respond to those factors. This is portrayed through William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, the titular character Macbeth is the protagonist, a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. Consumed by ambition and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. However, his guilt and paranoia lead him to commit more murders in order to maintain his power, and he becomes increasingly tyrannical as his
English Essay, Macbeth Shakespeare’s extensive use of symbols throughout Macbeth (1606) provides us with deeper understandings of the characters within the play. ‘The choices we make determine our destiny’ is the driving quote for this essay and is an ongoing motif throughout the play Macbeth. This quote signifies that the decisions you make within your everyday life will determine the outcome of your future and destiny. The releletivity of this quote can relate to every character in this play but the most relevent example of this saying would be the tragic hero of the story Macbeth and his partener Lady Macbeth.
In Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Macbeth, he utilizes various techniques in order to develop the theme of negative consequences when one’s ambition gets out of control. Though usage of metaphors and diction, Shakespeare is able to weave the theme into the core of the play while having it remain an interesting story. One of Shakespeare’s most notable skill as the world’s most famous playwright, is his almost impeccable ability to use figurative language to convey a scene. Macbeth is a prime example of his masterful command of the English language.
When Macbeth was contemplating whether or not to kill King Duncan, kinsman. Ultimately, if Macbeth never got influenced by others decisions, he would have continued to be loyal towards King
As soon as Macbeth becomes than he realizes that if everything is going to be decided by fate he is just going to wait for it to happen. Shortly after he becomes very impatient saying “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step/ On which I must fall down or else o’erleap,/ For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;/ Let not light see my black and deep desires./ The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be/ Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”
It also reveals that he has some level of free will as he is actively making a decision to go kill Banquo. However, his choices are influenced by the prophecy and his desire to fulfill it. Throughout the entire soliloquy and especially this line, it can be noted that syntax of short and almost incomplete sentences resembles the mental spiral Macbeth is in because he doesn't fully understand the line between predestined fate and the choice he is making to lead to this fate. The chaos of each short frantic sentence shows his inability to recognize his free
Caliana Hoffmann Mr. Knapp English, Per 6 21 March, 2022 Macbeth Essay Is free will a choice, do you decide for yourself if you are going to let something control your life or are you going to take control and make decisions for yourselves? The concept of free will has been questioned throughout recorded human history. Shakespeare gives an example of this in his play Macbeth. In the play, Macbeth the three witches play an important role.
The Importance of Making Deliberate Choices in Macbeth The butterfly effect is commonly talked about, yet underappreciated when in the present. Despite a choice’s impact being seemingly small, the accumulation of these small choices and the impacts they have made will make a substantial overall influence on an individual’s life, whether for good or for worse. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Shakespeare has articulated that an individual's life is primarily determined by the choices they make, and thus every single choice needs to be made deliberately and thoughtfully. Macbeth had fallen to his demise from his previously admirable life as a result of the total disregard of the consequences of the planned murders of Banquo and Macduff’s
Sean Smith Mrs. Anthony Senior English 8 March 2018 The Danger of Ambition In Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, the author proposes a perpetual loop of struggle through his use of fate and imagery of the character’s deaths in order to express the consequences for one’s actions if they are foolish enough to make these decisions. “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is a uniquely portrayed concept of fate, internal struggle, and paradox; the story depicts a human with intentions to receive power.
However, when making these choices to further his own prosperity, there may be some other sources that affect his thinking. When Macbeth makes the decisions to murder and torture the people in his way, he gets some influence from the witches and his wife; nevertheless, Macbeth’s choices that lead to the tragedy of the story were completely all on his part. In the very beginning of the production,
We are given a good impression of Macbeth by other characters even before he makes his first appearance on stage. But does Macbeth control his fate and free will? Macbeth made some poor decisions and let people influence him and that led to his ultimate
Paige Cox Mrs Hamm Honors English IV 12 March 2017 Macbeth William Shakespeare’s classic play Macbeth is universally accepted as a tragedy about significant loss; however, a deeper inspection into the play and its underlying themes will reveal that this timeless piece of literature was also intended to teach a variety of valuable lessons to its audience. These lessons include, but are not limited to: with great power comes great responsibility, one should not always be easily persuaded or influenced, it is sometime okay to be selfish, and of course, consequences exist for all actions. Clearly, Shakespeare was not only a great playwright, but also an important teacher and influencer. Macbeth successfully teaches the lesson with
“If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, without my stir” (Shakespeare 144). Macbeth, a loyal subject to his king has an encounter that will change his fate with an ultimate effect on his free will. They claim three predictions, Macbeth will be the Thane of Cawdor and later crowned King but Macbeths lineage will not maintain the throne. After this supernatural confrontation, Macbeth questions this loyalty which will ultimately lead to his new fate carried out (LitCharts 1). Fully capable to act upon his own free will, Macbeth instead is driven by fate to his destruction which gives further insight of his character advancement.
Macbeth, ultimately, is responsible for his crimes. Shakespeare’s idea of free will associated with fate and destiny is a common theme. Notably, before assessing Macbeth’s responsibility for his crimes, there must be validation as to if Macbeth has free will or a way to change his fate. One example is the choice of actions between Macbeth and Banquo.
Often, it is the responsibility of oneself to determine the outcome of your life, however there will always be influential people who either directly or indirectly affect the decisions made. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play believed to be written in 1605, focusing on the downwards spiral of Macbeth after he murders King Duncan in order to become King of Scotland, consequently developing feelings of guilt and paranoia. Through the establishment of atmosphere, comments on the actions of major characters, and foreshadowing events, Shakespeare develops the minor characters which include the Three Witches, Macduff, and the Murderers, to support and further prompt the development of the major characters, as well as to communicate essential moral truths and trite platitudes.
