Macbeth Free Will Research Paper

To Take Fate’s Hand “Destiny is no matter of chance”. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved," says William Jennings Byran. Free will is an individual's power to act without the constraint of fate. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth’s free will is ignited by the prophecy of the three witches. While the prophecy sets Macbeth’s predetermined fate, the murders of King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family demonstrate Macbeth’s free will. Macbeth, influenced by fate, is driven by ambition and causes King Duncan's death. Macbeth explains how his only motivator for murder is “vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself [a]nd falls over th’ other” (Shakespeare 7.25–28). Macbeth admits

While killing King Duncan fulfills the prophecy, Macbeth’s consciousness will be forever haunted by the event. He recalls his auditory hallucinations, “‘[Macbeth] hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor/[s]hall sleep no more,’” (Shakespeare 2.2.40–41). Macbeth’s guilt creates insomnia. As a result of the murder, Macbeth descends into madness that will forever cloud his judgment and influence his free will. Attaining his royalty, Macbeth now fears for the security of his crown. The witches' prophecy of Banquo being a father to many kings angers Macbeth. Macbeth decides that to protect his throne, he must get rid of Banquo and his son, Fleance. The three murderers bid his bidding, “There’s but [Banquo] down. The son [has] fled” (Shakespeare 3.3.22). Macbeth murders his lifelong friend for his own benefit, exercising his free will. Consequently, Macbeth is met with a manifestation of his guilt, Banquo’s ghost. Macbeth reassures himself of his sanity with the old saying, “[b]lood will have blood” (Shakespeare 3.4.123). Macbeth’s moral descent denies the lack of ethical decision-making in the murder of Banquo. As a result, Macbeth reinstates the cycle of violence, ignorantly justifying that his actions are ones of destiny and not free