Bound by Fate, Pained by Free Will
For centuries, many people have debated and grappled with the idea of fate versus free will. Is a person’s life controlled by fate or is a person entirely responsible for their actions and subsequent consequences? American Professor Randy Pausch describes the relationship between fate and free will well when he writes, “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the game”. In the tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, it appears as though Macbeth’s fate is predetermined from the beginning, however, it is his actions that determine how he reaches his destiny. Although Macbeth feels as though he falls victim to fate, the real reasons behind his pain are because of the choices he makes throughout
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The first time that this is evident over the course of Macbeth's journey to power is when he receives his first prophecy from The Witches. When Macbeth visits The Witches to receive his prophecy, they say to him, “All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.53). Upon hearing the prophecy, Macbeth immediately decides he must take action to fulfill his fate. Interestingly, the definition of fate is “something that unavoidably befalls a person” (dictionary.com). Despite hearing that he is destined to be king, Macbeth still plots King Duncan’s death so that he can receive the crown. This is evident when Macbeth says to himself, “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair” (1.3.144-145). Here, Macbeth is admitting that he is contemplating murdering King Duncan mere minutes following The Witches prophecy even though he knows it is wrong. English literature writer, Balázs Szigeti states, ‘“It is noteworthy that Macbeth immediately thinks about the murder on hearing the prophecy… Macbeth interprets the declaration ‘Thou shalt be king hereafter’ (1.3.53) into the future, as an imperative, and wants to fulfill the promise as an active agent” (Szigeti, 29). Although Macbeth hears …show more content…
This causes Macbeth to take action to try to ensure that he will not lose the crown to Banquo’s descendants. Unlike Macbeth killing Duncan to fulfill a prophecy, here, Macbeth is acting on the basis of trying to stop a prophecy from being fulfilled. The murderer’s end up killing Banquo but Fleance manages to escape, which means the prophecy may still come to pass. It is interesting that in spite of the actions Macbeth takes, it appears as though fate is what has kept Fleance alive. Had he died, none of Banquo’s descendants would have been able to be king one day. Famous Shakespearean writer A.C. Bradley states, “The tragic world is a world of action, and action is the translation of thought into reality. . . But what they achieve is not what they intended; it is terribly unlike it. . . They act freely, and yet their action binds them hand and foot” (Bradley, 42). Macbeth acts freely and willingly to plan the murders of Banquo and his son, but much like Bradley says, instead, he finds himself bound by fate. Fleance is fated to be king or to have descendants who will be king. Macbeth can attempt to murder him time and time again but it seems that fate has determined Fleance’s future and is what is keeping him alive. Whether Macbeth is attempting to fulfill his own prophecy or stop someone else’s from coming true, he voluntarily takes action rather than let fate lead
In Macbeth, William Shakespeare portrays the end of a famed hero who chooses to go down a dark path, rather than choosing a path which would have led to glory, making him a tragic hero. When Macbeth is told his prophecy of becoming king, he intends on doing it on his own terms and decides to make impulsive decisions, such as killing Duncan, Banquo and slaughtering Macduff’s family. These impulsive decisions were an effect of Macbeth being blinded by becoming king, as he felt he had other options. Although it may seem that Macbeth was influenced by society to commit these atrocious acts, he was fully aware of the consequences and went ahead with his plan. Macbeth truly fits the role of a tragic hero as he brought his fate upon himself, through
Jeremiah Phillips Mrs, Asia English 2 19 May 2023 Fate Vs. Free will in Macbeth The debate between fate and free will has been ongoing for centuries In Macbeth by William Shakespeare the protagonist Macbeth encounter withes while returning from battle on the heath. This is when he encounters withes who relay his fate, and uncovered that he is destined to become king. Macbeth after apprehending what the withes told to him began to pursue to become king by any means.
In Greek tragedies, fate uses the hero’s stubborn belief in his ability to determine his own fate in order to have him arrive at his fated end in a manner contrary to his will. Macbeth arrives at his fate by trying to be responsible for his own fate. On the one hand, Macbeth has no control over his destiny, and is merely a pawn of fate. On the other hand, fate actually does use Macbeth’s own character to accomplish its ends, so in that sense he is not merely a pawn. Because he is not merely a pawn, he retains a certain responsibility for his actions, and because he retains responsibility, he retains something of his freedom.
In many circumstances it can be hard to understand why something happened, especially whether it was fate or free will. If it was fate then what was going to happen was already decided, and if it was free will then whatever the character chooses will result in a different ending. In Macbeth, a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, Lord Macbeth receives multiple prophecies that end up coming true which leads many to believe that all of his actions are a result of fate, but along the way it is shown that Macbeth tends to make his own decisions showing that it could also be a result of free will. Even though Macbeth wasn’t able to escape his fate or prove that the witches prophecies were false, Macbeth's downfall was a result of free will, seeing that he made
“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.
He first orders for Banquo and his son, Fleance, to be killed because the witches had also predicted that Banquo’s son will become king. Macbeth says in regards to Banquo, “There is none but he whose being I do fear... Given to the common enemy of man, to make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings (Act 3, Scene 1)!” Banquo is
Firstly, the witches could have complete power over Macbeth’s destiny while he has no control whatsoever. On the other hand, there is also the argument that Macbeth carves his own path due to his ambitious nature. However, the witches cannot control the fate of Macbeth because we control our own fates, and our own actions in the present are what shapes our future. Macbeth is seen as a very ambitious character from the start of the play while fighting against the rebels, to the end when he is slain. How he decides he uses his ambition
Often times, people go through rises and downfalls in their lives that they themselves are responsible for. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, both main characters, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, himself, are responsible for the downfall of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is responsible for the tragedy because she convinces and manipulates Macbeth into doing the deed. However, Shakespeare accomplishes in showing that Macbeth is more responsible for his own downfall than Lady Macbeth because he listens to the witches and follows his ambition rather than his conscience. To begin, Lady Macbeth is responsible for the tragedy because she convinces and manipulates Macbeth into doing the deed by insulting him when he changes his mind.
After hearing the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth only focus on the last part of it which was Macbeth becoming king. This relates to the theme because Macbeth decides to take action and kill Duncan in order to make sure he is king. This also shows his disillusionment as he is doing anything for his fate to be proven true. Macbeth feels threatened by Fleance after the witches told Banquo his prophecy, which was that he will have a line of kings. “Fleance, his son, that keeps him company, / Whose absence is no less material to me / Than is his father’s, must embrace the fate / Of that dark hour” (3.2.134-138).
Macbeth feels his destiny is to murder King Duncan and become the King of Scotland, which is why Macbeth promises Lady Macbeth achieve his destiny. Therefore, Macbeth’s ambition for power leads to the death of King Duncan. Moreover, Macbeth’s ambition for power triggers the massacre the ones who impede him from his pathway to the Scottish Throne. First, Macbeth has murderers kill Banquo to avoid obstructions in his plan to become the King of Scotland. Macbeth tells the three murderers hired: “…
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth the witches informs Macbeth of his fate that he will become the king in the future. Macbeth believes the witches words and Lady Macbeth persuade him to become the king and murder all the people that get in the way. Shakespeare shows us that fate is complicated by our actions, Macbeth will do anything to meet his fate that in the end lead him to his death because of his greediness.
As soon as he murdered Duncan, his ego took over and he became insane with power and paranoia. This made Macbeth responsible for what he did to Banquo and Macduff’s family. It is evident that Macbeth was just following his prescribed destiny when he committed the murders. Fate predicted Macbeth’s life through internal and external forces that played a role in his destiny.
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.
After achieving the title of the King of Scotland, Macbeth wants to secure his position as the king and desires to inherit the Scottish throne to his ancestors. His aim was showed in “To be thus is nothing, /But to be safely thus” (III, i, 52-3). This quote reveals that Macbeth not only wanted to become the king but also wants to secure his position as the King of Scotland for the welfare of his upcoming generation. This reveals Macbeth’s is implying the witches’ prophecies; as long Banquo’s sons live, Macbeth’s throne would not be able to inherit down to his ancestors. As the play progresses, Macbeth’s hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, as represented through, “Banquo, thy soul’s flight, /If
Free Will over Fate in Macbeth This theory is obvious in a scene, where Macbeth is consciously deciding to kill king Duncan. In Act 1, Scene 3 he states: - “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function, is smother’d in surmise, and nothing is, but what is not” (Macbeth 1.3.138-141). We observe his conscious unstable thought processes about contemplating and planning the murder of Duncan emerging shortly after hearing the prophecy, and before Lady Macbeth could hear the message and influence his decision.