Conscience In Macbeth

In Macbeth, the playwright known as Shakespeare expresses that life is governed solely by one’s own conscience of right and wrong through his main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This enlightenment approach of conscience means that everyone gets to decide their own fate, rather than letting fate choose for them. In the beginning of Macbeth, Shakespeare writes Macbeth to decide to let fate chose his path. “If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, without my stir” (1.3.157-159), this line that Macbeth says is a paradox the play’s main idea of choices. Macbeth is making his own choice to let “fate” make a decision in his life. Saying that if the Witches are correct about his reign as king then he shouldn't have to do anything to

Although, later on Macbeth does take action on becoming king. If he had not his life would have been very different. In the final act of Macbeth, Macbeth makes his a final life altering decision that is valiant, but does not change his morality. Macbeth is being cornered by a huge army, and he has a choice to either stay and fight or flee. Ultimately he makes the decision to stay and fight, even though it could mean death “They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly, but bear like, I must fight the course” (5.7.1-2). In this way Macbeth is choosing his own destiny, because the Witches have never mentioned anything about how his life would end, except for stating to not fear “ any man being born of a woman”. The witches don't tell Macbeth that he will have to fight,or die. It is left up to Macbeth to decide his morality and manhood. Macbeth is the ultimate decider of his own fate. The audience perceives Macbeth as a somewhat weak and bloodthirsty man who becomes too corrupt to handle. Macbeth’s wife pressures him into killing Duncan, but then Macbeth ends up turning on everyone. At first the audience sympathizes with his “weak” personality, but it soon becomes clear that Macbeth's decisions are driven by his lust for