Free Will In Macbeth

In the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a tragic hero and a noble figure under King Duncan, who, after hearing three prophecies, becomes ambitious. The three prophecies are presented by witches who explain how he will become Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and king after that. Although he is initially in disbelief, Macbeth begins to develop a need for power and status. These needs become stronger, causing him to resort to extreme measures such as murder. He begins down the slippery slope of murder, starting with regicide and then takes innocent lives; ultimately, the play ends with his own death. Critics have debated whether Macbeth’s downfall is due to the witches or his own choices and free will. On the one hand, some,

Favila agrees Macduff’s family is innocent when she says, “[Macbeth] has no real reason to kill Macduff 's wife, children, and servants, who offer no threat to his throne” (22). In fear of his life and title, Macbeth is getting angry and paranoid and begins lashing out on Macduff’s family, showing the apex of his free will- he is killing innocent people that were never even addressed by the witches. Macbeth’s warped mind is the leading cause of his paranoia and behavior, and while it seems the witches are responsible for some of this, they are not, instead it is rather Macbeth’s twisted thought

When hearing the prophecies in Act I, Macbeth refuses to believe them, doubting they will come true, yet when he sees the apparitions, he fully believes them causing him towards the end to become extremely overconfident in himself. It is Macbeth’s fault for not being more cautious and skeptical like he was earlier, which lets him misinterpret the true meaning of the witches apparitions during his second meeting with the Weird Sisters. The second apparition is a bloody child, and when Macbeth hears the prophecy that no man born of woman shall harm him, he instantly gains a bigger ego, becoming more confident thinking that he will never be harmed. Immediately after hearing the second apparition, Macbeth’s reaction shows he gains more confidence when he