Examples Of Free Will In Macbeth

“Guilt is worse than greed, for it robs the body of its soul.” (Robert T. Kiyosaki). Since the beginning of time, people in society have made mistakes, it is natural, but the knowledge of causing harm tends to stay with one longer than the knowledge of the action itself. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, blood is an overarching motif conveying the ever-oscillating theme of fate vs. free will. The recurring image of blood throughout the play symbolizes guilt and the irreparable nature of one’s actions pertaining to murder, highlighting the downfall of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is the perfect image of what a man in power should be. He is brave, kind, and noble and has won over the public, but one stormy night, he

After seeing the witches again, Macbeth becomes even more impulsive than usual. The witches tell Macbeth that Banquo’s bloodline will eventually become king. Macbeth decides that he will begin to act on first impulse rather than his senses, as that’s the only way he will achieve an unaffected reign in the kingdom. “From this moment, the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand.” (4.1.166-168). This statement is a clear example of Macbeth letting his fate carry him throughout the rest of his short life. Unfortunately for Macbeth, his idea was covering his tracks was killing more people. Macbeth’s image had fallen from a hero to a tyrannical villain. Macbeth shows to be somewhat aware of his evergrowing thirst for power and rampage in his last moments before fighting Macduff. “My soul is too much charged with blood of thine already” (5.8.6-7). Macbeth’s actions had taken his soul’s sense of innocence and driven him down a path he couldn’t return from. He let his mind carry him through to his death, going with the flow of life, robbing him of the fate he once

When hearing of the great power she and Macbeth could carry when hearing about the witch’s plea, Lady Macbeth made it her ultimate goal to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan and secure that power. She used her free will to get a desirable outcome; unfortunately, that sealed her tragic fate. As the play continues, Lady Macbeth becomes less prevalent until the beginning of the 5th act. After being observed by a doctor, they catch her sleepwalking and talking about her inner turmoil. “Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!” (5.1.53-55). Lady Macbeth is reliving the trauma she faced internally for killing Duncan. She begins to wash her hands and cries that the blood won’t go away. Despite the confidence and agency Lady Macbeth once showed, her karma caught up to her and put her through a state of madness. This results in her suicide because her karma becomes too much to