In Macbeth, free choice, not fate, is to blame for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s actions. Firstly, the witches never say that Macbeth must kill Duncan in order to be king. When the clairvoyant witches give Macbeth his prophecy, they say, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (Macbeth Act I Sc III li.51). Since the witches do not say that Macbeth will kill the current king in order to claim the throne, one could argue that Macbeth’s decision to murder Duncan was of free choice. Another line proves that free choice undid Macbeth. After Macbeth receives the title of thane of Cawdor without any action on his behalf, he decides, “If chance will have me king, why, chance/ may crown me/ without my stir” (Macbeth Act 1 Sc 3 li.47-49). This
The underlying cause of Macbeth’s fate was his own actions and ambitions. He possesses his own free-will and kills King Duncan despite the deed being so cruel and nothing forcing his hand (Doc C). Lady Macbeth has no power over his actions. She may only influence thoughts and opinions. The Weïrd Sisters too, while highly convincing to him, have no physical power over Macbeth’s actions. After acquiring his title of Thane of Cawdor, he recognizes that if these predictions were absolute, then “chance may crown [him],/Without [his] stir.” (Doc A). If the predictions were truly ultimate, then action would not be required. However, because he still felt the need to ensure his position as king, he tempts fate and pays the price. There was no outer force controlling Macbeth’s actions and he is fully
Philosophers and writers for centuries have questioned the nature of good and evil, and human choices in between. Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Macbeth invites the reader to question the role of free will and determinism as we consider the guilt of its main character (Macbeth). I believe if one believes in good, one should also believe in evil; we freely choose between them and must accept the consequences of those actions. Macbeth is just being consumed with his own ambition and thirst for power, and he freely chooses to kill others. Macbeth may have been influenced, but he has a rational mind, therefore knew he was doing wrong, and is therefore responsible. Philosophical analysts can argue that biological determinism, free will, and environmental aspects were Macbeth’s downfall causing him to commit evil deeds. However, even though these can be argued Macbeth still had the free will to make his own decisions.
It is obvious that Macbeth is constantly enacting his free will on his life. His fate does not entirely dictate what transpires in his life. Macbeth would never have become King, killed Banquo, descended to madness, and be killed, without choosing to commit the actions ...
Decisions determine the path of a man's life, The types of decisions ensure the destination and the emotions which follow. In the beginning Macbeth was a hero with lots of fame but he is filled with greed and wants to be king. There were key experiences that Macbeth endured, which show an internal conflict of Macbeth. William Shakespeare highlights the dishonest tasks as thrilling and rewarding until the guilt and stress set in. Showing that doing evil things may be thrilling at the time but sooner or later karma will set in.
The desire for power seems to be one of the strongest human drive and there are many ways which it is shown. Sometimes the need for power becomes overwhelming and can take over a person physically and mentally. A person’s judgement can easily be clouded due to the desire to be in control. Once one has the idea of gaining power and are willing to do anything for it, they start to change as a person. Knowing that you are powerful and in control, it can sometimes be beneficial or harmful. If a person is careful and wise, having power would be a good thing. They can use it to improve themselves or to help others with selfless acts. But in reality most people are selfish and are not as giving. They only do things that would benefit them, even if that means hurting someone else. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the struggle for power is presented throughout the play. The characters are so power crazed that it leads to their downfall. This play gives you the deep understanding on how wanting power so much that it can actually change you as a person or even kill you.
Macbeth: Choices. & nbsp; & nbsp; In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare characters not escape the consequences of their choices. The choices that some characters made in the play put them in a position which they could not escape. In most of these cases, the character feels remorse for the choice they had made. The The characters that I will be concentrating on are Macbeth, Macduff, and Lady.
Ethical decision-making is the process of weighing out your options of what outcome you would prefer. Ethical decisions both have positive and/or negative outcomes. When weighing out your options, you try to elimination unethical and ethical options, trying to choose the best alternative. In Macbeth, Macbeth’s courage plays a huge role in his ethical decision-making. In HOUSE, unethical decision-making is critical for saving relationships. “The process of making ethical decisions requires commitment, consciousness, and competency. In commitment you have the desire to do the right thing regardless of the cost. Consciousness is the awareness to act consistently and apply moral convictions to daily behavior. Competency is the ability
In the tragedy “Macbeth,” written by William Shakespeare, Macbeths free will is shown as he tries to take what is his. “Macbeth” is about a Scottish troop (Macbeth) and his friend Banquo. Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches whom tell them about a prophecy that involves Macbeth and Banquo’s son. One of the prophecies was that Macbeth would become king. The prophecy makes Macbeth’s mind corrupted making him pursue dark actions to overthrow King Duncan. Macbeth’s free will is exhibited by the way he has the inspiration to control what he does throughout the tragedy. People may say that it is fate because the prophecy states that Macbeth will be king, but it also states that Banquo’s sons will be kings in
Of all of Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth is perhaps the most effective in its use of rhetoric, most notably within Act One, Scene Seven. This scene portrays an interesting clash between both the logical and pathos driven concerns of Macbeth, and the overwhelmingly pathetic argument of his spouse. The two argue over whether or not Macbeth should commit regicide in order to obtain the throne from the current king, Duncan, with Macbeth initially against doing so and his wife emphatically in favor of the assassination. The passage is exemplary in its usage of rhetorical devices, which, for example, are particularly seen in Shakespeare’s avid employment of parallel sentences and metaphors, and of course the scene's artful use of pathos. Arguably, only through thoughtful and analytical reflection, can one garner a true appreciation for the rhetoric involved in Macbeth's acquiescence to the ad hominem argument of his wife and his inner ambitions.
We certainly know that the direct cause of Duncan’s death is Macbeth. However, this does not necessarily mean he is to blame, for his violent death is obviously the consequence of certain influences that forced Macbeth to perform his fatal deed. Furthermore, to unearth the truth about who is really the guilty for Duncan’s murder, we must explore the influences the different characters have on Macbeth’s impulses and the overall scenario of the slaying. Firstly, we shall consider Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, as they are the two who planned and performed the murder. Although after the witches told Macbeth that he was to be king and he was burning in desire to be so he, in first instance, decided that if fate had determined that he was to be the sovereign of Scotland he shouldn’t try to reach the throne by his own actions, that it would come eventually: “If Chance will have me king, why, Chance may crown me, / Without my stir”.
The three witches told Macbeth of his fate. Did the events in Macbeth?s life occur because of the witches? prophesy or was it because of the choices he made? Could there possibly be some of both? What caused Macbeth to fall? Was it his fate or his free will?
It was predetermined by fate that Macbeth would believe the witches' words. When Macbeth does in fact become thane of Cawdor, he then believes fully in the witches and is willing to do anything it takes to become king. This willingness to do whatever is necessary to become the king of Scotland is also what causes Macbeth to commit so many murders, the first of which is Duncan. In order for Macbeth to be king, the current king must die and his successors must be unavailable for the throne. Fate plays a huge hand in the way that Duncan's murder plays out.
Macbeth was not a hopeless victim of fate, he was pushed by the power of suggestion, and in the end he ultimately chose his actions. The characters are people guided by a God, witches or a higher power, giving major points of destiny, yet the control of how they handle life events is on the individual. Macbeth and the rest of the cast can not just sit back and blame "fate;" life is what each individual person makes it. The play makes an important distinction: Fate may dictate what will be but how destiny comes about is a matter of chance of man’s own choice or free will.
Today was anything but an ordinary day, however as illogical as it sounds it was like every other day. Oh my, It seems that the witches paradoxes have gotten to my head. I, once again have been placed in Macbeth's shadow. I envy him for how he is highly respected by everyone, for his bravery and skill on the battlefield. Not only do people favour him but so does fate. Why does Macbeth deserve such a great future while I get something so less? He shall be king while I will father of kings but won’t be one. What does Macbeth possess that I don’t? I am just as skillful and brave as he, maybe even more. His prophecies are so great and worthy of envy, while mine are lesser and make no sense. It’s not fair, I work just as hard as him. Why has fate
If MacBeth had never been persuaded to kill Duncan, MacBeth probably would not have committed any other murder crimes throughout the rest of the play. One could blame Lady MacBeth for persuading her husband to become a killer --- blame women’s ability to manipulate men into having bad character. Though, one could also blame MacBeth, seeing as he was responsible for his own decisions. MacBeth had the option of how strongly he stood up to his wife for his moral beliefs, and he chose to barely defend his opinion. It’s clear that neither MacBeth nor his wife were solely responsible for his final decision to murder King Duncan. Without his wife’s persuasion, MacBeth would not have killed the king, but MacBeth could have chosen to not be so easily persuaded by his wife.