Macbeth’s knowledge of the prophecies told to him by the weird sisters, causes him to take fate into his own hands, even though he expects his actions to be pre-planned by fate. Macbeth’s first encounter with the weird sisters is when they tell him about the first prophecy and he starts his journey to power. The first witch says, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! (1.3.53).”
Does Macbeth acts upon fate or does he have free will towards his decisions? Many argue that Macbeth is not genuinely responsible for his evil actions; on the other hand, they excuse him with the assumption that he is just a victim of a dark fate he can’t escape from. I do believe the witches, who stated the prophecy regarding his future, played a really important role in his decision-making. However, from a personal perspective, I dare to say that Macbeth is definitely the real one to blame in relation to all of his evil decisions. The witches never really forced him to do anything he didn’t want to, it was his own free will to act upon his decisions, once the witches stated his prophecy about him obtaining reign and power, the idea about ambition got stuck in his head, leading him to terrible choices and causing his own downfall.
The role of trauma impacts the human brain in a multitude of ways. In Shakespeare’s acclaimed tragedy, Macbeth, the trauma of death, specifically murder, affects the moral compass of Macbeth and of those around him, including his wife Lady Macbeth. After Duncan’s death, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth go through fundamental changes in character. Becoming more ambitious, manipulative and deceitful, Macbeth’s nature comes to mimic that of a pre-coronated Lady Macbeth, who exhibits all of these characteristics previously.
Supernatural elements can be seen in Macbeth through the witches and their unusual powers. The witches appear to be helpful in giving Macbeth his prophecy, but in reality want only to stir up trouble and cause strife throughout the kingdom. Although Macbeth wants the witches to tell him his prophecy, he is also afraid to act on these newly found predictions for fear of the inevitable guilt he will then have to face. Macbeth states that the witches as "Instruments of darkness" in order to explain to readers that even though the witches appear to be helping Macbeth, in reality they are causing more harm than good and creating evil thoughts within the characters minds. Macbeth’s prophecy began his desire for power, which led to his struggle with guilt.
However, in William Shakespeare's “cursed” play, Macbeth, our title character faces quite a different fate. In our story, Macbeth is confronted with three witches who give Macbeth a less than perfect prediction of the bloody future ahead of him. Followed shortly after, three people are killed by
“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.
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.
The three Witches, or weird sisters, play an extremely important part in the life of Macbeth, and are responsible for, if not the entire tragedy, starting off the sequence of events that lead to the death of many characters. They are oracles; they can predict the future and read the fate of mortals such as Macbeth. However, as with many other oracle characters, they speak in rhyme and riddle, and Macbeth inevitably misinterprets their prophecy. They greet him with praises; “All hail Macbeth that shalt be King hereafter!” making him feel important, and reassuring him with the phrase; “Fear not, Macbeth.
Fate is a prediction of someone’s life and the internal and external forces playing a role in that person’s destiny. In Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth”, Macbeth is a victim of his prescribed destiny. Three witches, the people closest to Macbeth, and most importantly, his own ego and actions, determine his prescribed destiny. Three witches appear to Macbeth after King Duncan finds out he is betrayed by the Thane of Cawdor.
Have you heard of fate? Do you believe in fate? Well in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, fate plays an important role in Macbeth’s life. Fate is something that unavoidably befalls a person.
A story of tragedy is not uncommon with William Shakespeare and his works of prose. In his plays, death and despair is more likely than honor and prosperity. This is an included facet to Macbeth as well, having sinister themes of greed, manipulation, and brutality. Macbeth, by the infamous playwright, Shakespeare, presents us with multiple aspects factoring into whether the main character controls his actions that lead to the tragic events.
A celebrated cartoonist Scott Adams once said “Free will is an illusion; people always choose the perceived path of greatest pleasure” (Brainyquote, 2016). One of the most studied plays in the world, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, can be seen as a direct representation of this quote. In the play, Shakespeare highlights the overall fulfillment of the witches’ prophecy of Macbeth, Macbeth’s failure to overcome his fate, and his gradual dependence on the witches’ prophecy rather than his own choice to portray how one's’ destiny is predetermined by fate. The witches in Macbeth serve as a symbolic representation of faith, as they excite Macbeth’s ambition and foreshadow his ultimate destiny.
The ideas of fate and freewill have been debated on for years. Citizens of the twenty-first century often believe that life is a combination of fate and personal choices. The truth is, the question has gone through all of our minds whether we know of it or not. Are our lives predetermined or do we pave our own paths? To this day, when something goes wrong in my life, my parents often tell me “it was meant to be.”
One of the most critical ideas surrounding tragedies is fate and destiny. The idea that an individual’s life is predetermined is associated with many great works of Shakespeare, and transcending through stories, if human beings have free will. If all humans carry free will, does that mean that all humans are responsible for their crimes and inhumanities. Undoubtedly, both topics are explored through the play, but Macbeth corrupts himself with his own destructive actions. The Tragedy of Macbeth stems from the fearless, hero of Scotland who then turned into a ruthless king who will kill anyone he sees as a threat.
and obtains the title, which trigger an arrogant and self-absorbed thinking leading to madness and finally, death. The play seems to bring up the question, whether Macbeth is fully responsible of his own destiny, or under control of fate. In the first glance, the play seems to take rather fatalistic direction, meaning that we are powerless to make decisions as they are inevitably determined by supernatural power (Hugh 1)) It is due to the presence of supernatural forces throughout the whole play that systematically fulfills the prophecy; therefore the witches represent the idea of fate in the play. However, Shakespeare seems to rather intertwine fate with free will and perhaps even promotes the second philosophy as the play evolves.
