How Is Macbeth Determined

Fate is something that is determined, maybe even something we can not change or have a say in. Shakespeare takes this into account and applies this logic into his famous play Macbeth. Our protagonist Macbeth went from a war hero to a broken villain, ending him remembered as a tragic hero. With each act he became more and more greedy for power, leading him up to his unfortunate fate. Fate is something one can not outrun; we all just have to accept what is determined for us. Fate was something that applied in every aspect of Macbeth. Shakespeare’s attitude towards fate is predetermined, because there is no way that fate could be manipulated, through the three witches prophecy, Banquo's prophecy/fate and the apparitions warnings. The witches are a big part of the story when it comes to fate. The witches saw into the future and told Macbeth and Banquo their prophecy, which is undeniable. They even claimed

Banquo indeed does not live to see his sons become kings. The witches' prophecy was that Banquo would never be king, but his descendants would. This emphasized that he would die at some point. Macbeth even felt so intimidated towards Banquo and his fate leading him to the point to say, “Banquo if your soul is going to make it to heaven, tonight’s the night”(3.1.141). The grip that the prophecy held upon Macbeth ended with his downfall and all of the supposed future coming true. Banquo sadly passed away due to the actions of who he believed to be a true friend, but this fate was something that was surely expected. This fate was inevitable from the very beginning. The apparitions said to “Laugh at the power of other men, because nobody born from a woman will ever harm Macbeth”(4.1.79). Even though many of the things told to Macbeth were indirect, it happened regardless due to fate. This established once again that fate is not something one could change, no matter what is said even with the benefit of knowing what is to come