Fate In Macbeth

Fate in Macbeth

The theme of fate is presented in different forms in Act 2 of Shakespeare's play "Macbeth." The characters in the play are confronted with the concept of fate and the repercussions of their actions. There are several references to fate throughout the act, and characters wrestle with the notion of whether their actions can change their predetermined fate.
Act 2 opens with Banquo and his son, Fleance, talking about the stars and their conviction that they can predict the future. "There's husbandry in heaven; their candles are all out," Banquo remarks (2.1.4-5), implying that the stars aren't shining brightly and thus the future is uncertain. However, Banquo remarks that the stars can "give aforesaid light to study by" (2.1.24),

The action takes place at night, and there are references to owls, bats, and other creatures associated with death and gloom. These images imply that the characters live in a world beyond human control, ruled by fate and the supernatural.
As Macbeth considers killing King Duncan, he has a vision of a dagger in front of him. "Is this a dagger I see before me, / the handle towards my hand?" he asks. "Come, let me grab thee." (2.1.33-34). This hallucination implies that Macbeth is being controlled by an outside force that is driving him to his fate. "I have not thee, and yet I see thee still," he says (2.1.45), suggesting that he is aware that what he is experiencing is not real, but he is helpless to fight it. This shows how Macbeth is torn between his own ambition and his dread of the future.
Later in the act, after murdering King Duncan, Macbeth states, "I am afraid to think what I have done; / Look on't again I dare not." (2.2.51-52). Macbeth's guilt and fear indicate that he is conscious of the consequences of his actions and that his destiny has been sealed. "Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care, / The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, / Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, / Chief nourisher in life's feast," he says

Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth after he murders King Duncan, "Go get some water / And wash this filthy witness from your hand." (2.2.50-51). Lady Macbeth's insistence on Macbeth washing his hands implies that she is attempting to obliterate proof of the murder and avoid the consequences of their conduct. "My hands are of your color, but I shame / To wear a heart so white," she says later, revealing her own guilt and anxiety. (2.2.82-83). Lady Macbeth's statement implies that she is aware of the consequences of their acts and that she is unable to change her