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Free Will In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

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Shakespeare presents the idea tht fate doesn’t change no matter what you do. But Macbeth truely didn’t believe this. As we can see in the play Macbeth the witches state that, “ Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none so all hail Macbeth and Banquo” (Act 1 Scene 3). Which basically says Banquo won’t be king but his descendants will be. Once Macbeth had relized that his descendants won’t be king(s) he has Banquo killed, which fufilled that Banquo won’t be king, but the murderers that Mabeth hired failed to kill Fleance, which still gives the chance that he or Banquo’s descendants could eventually rule. He so desperately wants to stay in power even through lineage and tries to do what he can to make sure that he gets what he wants, even if it means that one of his close friends would be dead. Then later in the story, Macbeh returnes to the witches in hopes to get more prophecies. After he receives the prophecies he states that “ That will never be. Who can impress the forest, bid the treeUnfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements, good Rebellious dead, rise never till the wood Of Birnam rise; and our high-placed …show more content…

He now thinks that basically because the prophecies have no way of coming true he has nothing to worry about even though the prophecies wouldn’t even be prophecies if the had no way of coming true. He in fact gets so confidant that he decides that he is untouchable, because everyone is “woman born” as well as the the woods can’t march twords the castle. So because he thinks that he is untouchable he decieds to start being reckless almost completely forgetting that his descendants won’t be king(s) and that Banquo’s will, and that is what ultimately gets him killed, many believe that it was Macbeths ambition that led to his downfall, but the fact that he believes that is fate was changed is, just like how the guilt killed Lady Macbeth. Which just shows that Shakespeare gave us the idea thet fate is never

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This message comes from three prophets or witches which tell him that he will become king of the entire kingdom at one point and had brushed it off as a joke. After, he is told he had received a new title just as the witches had claimed, it seems as if this knowledge dictated all of the actions that lead up to the end of his reign. Macbeth goes through many unsavory activities to become king, just as he was told;however, nearing the end of his reign, he is told he will not be able to be slain by any women born person. He takes this information as he is invincible to essentially everyone around him, and believes his reign will never end. In his final stance, Macbeth realizes him mistake as Macduff is not of women born and he is then slain.

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The last thing that the witches predict is that macduff will kill macbeth, which happens. So the real question is did Macbeth have free will or was it fate that ended him? It is very easy to predict the fact that Macbeth was controlled by fait. Macbeth was easily controlled by fait. At the beginning of the story he had no idea he would ever be king.

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The prediction also leads to his notion that he killed King Duncan for Banquo’s sons. As a result, the witches’ prophecy compels Macbeth to hire murderers to kill Banquo and

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This is proven when Banquo and Macbeth are discussing the prophecy and Banquo tells him, “may they not be my oracles” (3.1.9). Here Banquo expresses to Macbeth his desire to not let what the Three Witches have fated for him, determine the course of his life. In having Banquo attempt this, Shakespeare implies that Macbeth could do the same if the effort was provided. Additionally, a look at Macbeth’s character prior to the prophecy further exhibits Macbeth’s free will in the actions leading ultimately to his death. In 1.2, King Duncan discusses Macbeth’s brave, heroic and selfless actions in the war; had Macbeth never heard the prophecy, he would have very easily continued living his life in this way.

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Macbeth and Free Will When a child breaks something and blames it on their imaginary friend, not many people believe them. The same should go for Macbeth. Many claim that his actions are caused by a curse, fate, or some other powerful force. While other do influence Macbeth’s actions, such as the weird sister and Lady Macbeth, he is still responsible for everything he did. Macbeth comes up with the idea of murder, doesn’t listen to his conscience, and allows himself to become invested in the prophecy; ultimately, Macbeth is responsible for all of his actions.

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When the Witches' prophecy states Banquoes son will become king one day, Macbeth quickly acts and remarks, "I am settled, and bend up / Each corporal agent to this terrible feat" (3.1.92-93). Macbeth decides to have Banquo and his son Fleance killed, despite his initial reluctance to harm his friend. Macbeth's determination remains evident in his language as he declares his resolve to carry out the "terrible feat," and in his interactions with the murderers he hires. Clearly, Macbeth's determination to maintain his hold on power overrides his moral qualms and personal relationships. Macbeth's actions as a King seem to only promote and help himself which becomes known when he states, "I'll make assurance double sure, / And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live; / That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, / And sleep in spite of thunder" (3.4.90-93).

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In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses side characters to amplify Macbeth's true ambitions, which lead him to kill the king. Leaving fate behind and only the will of evil Macbeth to display the consequences of disrupting God and the natural order. After a battle, Banquo and Macbeth encounter three witches who prophesy that Macbeth will become king. At first, he considers this fate, but eventually, his ambitions come into play, causing him to kill King Duncan. Macbeth's contemplation, "If chance will have me, king, why, chance may/crown me/

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Hoi Man Jessica Miss Junqueira & Mr. Taylor English 2 Spring 15 May 2023 Fate and free will of Macbeth INTRODUCTION: Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. It is a famous play and a dark tale of power lust and paranoia set in Scotland in the Middle Ages. Macbeth follows the story of a Scottish nobleman who is told by three witches that he will become king one day. Inspired and driven by the prophecies made by the three witches, Macbeth goes on to kill the king and take the throne.

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We all wonder how our lives will turn out in the end. For Macbeth, this doesn 't come easily. In the story Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth’s destiny comes by fate rather than free will due to his belief of invincibility, his actions and how he goes about dealing with things throughout the story. In Act IV, Scene i, Macbeth goes to the witches for prophecies.

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“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.

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He has given up his free will to the dagger- which gave him the strength to kill Duncan; to Lady Macbeth- which encouraged him to achieve his role as King; and to the witches’ prophecy- which created the desire to become King. In act 3 the fate the witches prophesized for Banquo and Macbeth is tested. This to me is one of the first times Macbeth really uses his own free will to change the course of his destiny. Chowdhury states, “The significant role of fate is recognized when, despite a character's heroic acts and good intentions, they face death simply because they are doomed to die” Fate was set for them, but the free will of Macbeth changes the outcome. To make sure he remains in power he takes it upon himself to destroy anyone standing as a threat, even if that means to kill one of his best friends and

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953 Words | 4 Pages

At the start of the play, Macbeth visits the witches with Banquo at the closing of the battle. The witches speak to Macbeth and Banquo and get the idea of a prophecy in Macbeth’s mind. “All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis./ All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor./ All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.46-48). When the witches get the prophecy in Macbeth’s mind, he believes it will come true and misunderstands the prophecy of the witches. Although the witches make Macbeth believe in the prophecy of becoming the King, Macbeth is responsible for his downfall because they do not recommend Macbeth to kill Duncan.

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723 Words | 3 Pages

Fate Versus Free Will In Macbeth Fate versus free will is a theme well known throughout literature and in life as well. Is life controlled by fate, or are people’s lives dependent on the choices they make? In Macbeth, Shakespeare emphasizes the idea of fate vs. freewill, indicating that both elements play a role in the lives of individuals, as well as society as a whole. The main character, Macbeth’s, life is a combination of fate and his conscious decisions. The witches in Macbeth can control the fates of many, but only to a point.

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653 Words | 3 Pages

In Macbeth, free will is the cause for Macbeth’s downfall and Banquo’s honest end. Banquo chooses to ignore the prophecy and carry on with his life, whereas Macbeth decides to take the initial prophecy seriously and kill people over it. Based on the witches predictions, it may seem like Macbeth’s fate is sealed. However, both Banquo and Macbeth face a similar obstacle.

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Unlike Macbeth, Banquo, from the beginning of this encounter, continues to doubt the witches, “I’th’name of truth are ye fantastical, or that indeed which outwardly ye show?” (1.3.51-52) Banquo didn’t believe what the witches were saying, he questions their intentions and accuses them of raising Macbeth’s hope. Throughout this whole encounter, Banquo continues to protect Macbeth while staying loyal. He never once acted on his prophecies, he simply disregarded what the witches were saying and remained the noble man he is. Even to his death, Banquo has not once acted without honour and

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