There are always challenges in life that may seem random yet planned in a curious way, Some people take this to believe that a higher power controls what happens to them, causing their life to flow and shape into what it is, either by a deity of some mystical force that is in the universe. This is all called fate, and whether people believe in it or not, it is often mystically entwine within literature to set out the story -- to structure it -- and create a more cohesive narrative as it give what will happen in a way that also makes the reader question how and if it is actually true. One instance of fate being the driving force in fiction is within Shakespeare’s popular play, Macbeth. Fate is a large component of the story structure of Macbeth, …show more content…
One of these instances that after is indirectly sealed is when the murderer's attempt to kill Banquo and Fleance, however, the ail in killing Fleance because he had “‘scaped”, which would allow Banquo’s descendants to take the throne as prophesied by the witches (III.iv.22). This can be seen as a showing of just how powerful fate is, as this allows the witch’s prophecy about Banquo’s descendants to be kings. It may be that or the fact that not everything can be accounted for, as the death of Banquo and his son were not a sure thing, as chance can always throw a wrench into the schemes of all people. Macbeth also creates a situation of fate to occur by not taking action, as when the witches tell him that his end will come when the forest attacks, he shrugs it off, thinking of it as a preposterous and ridiculous thought, so he disregards it, so when it does come marching towards the castle, he cannot stop it (IV.i.104-106). This is the rejection of fate by Macbeth, which also leads to his downfall, as this is the moment where he doubts the possible future the witches see, and rather than take action to prevent that, he decides that it is preposterous. This is just another example of his free will affecting the future negatively and his choices affecting him …show more content…
One character that has already had part of their fate given to them unknowingly is when Fleance escape, unwittingly fulfilling the prophecy where Banquo’s descendants became kings, and this is realized when Macbeth sees a premonition of this, saying that it “sear mine eyeballs,” (IV.i.124) as the fulfilling of the guarantees his failure. This can be seen as a showing of just how powerful fate is, as this allows the witch’s prophecy about Banquo’s descendants to be kings. It may be that or the fact that not everything can be accounted for, as the death of Banquo and his son were not a sure thing, as chance can always throw a wrench into the schemes of all people. The story then has another character knowingly filing the requirement enabling fate to take shape is Macduff, in his birthing circumstance to fulfill the prophecy of ”Laugh to scorn/The power of man, for none of woman born/Shall harm Macbeth,” (IV.i.86-88). This prophecy put towards Macbeth does help with the idea of fate being the biggest component in this story, as this leads to only one person that can stop him, Macduff, which does eventually come to pass. This can also be seen more as a warning, though through Macbeth’s own choices and arrogance, he does not advert this future,
It has been said that one’s fate lies in one’s own hands; however, when one tries to use free will to rush this fate, the consequences are dire. In the tragedy, Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the character Banquo as a foil to Macbeth to highlight the differences in their personalities and actions. Banquo embodies the belief that fate should run its course; in this way, Banquo represents nature. On the other hand, Macbeth utilizes free will to try to rush time to reach his fate faster. These characteristics are displayed as Macbeth and Banquo hear their fates from the witches and act in response to those prophecies throughout the play. The distinct characteristics of the two demonstrate the clash between fate and free will throughout Macbeth.
However, one must also recognize that the path he chooses--to murder Duncan in order to secure his title--was influenced by the witches’ prophecy. While fate seems to guide Macbeth, he is still able to make is own
Throughout the story Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth seemed to just be a victim of “fate”. But, in the end it was clear that his character gained power over that “fate”, at least he gained power over
Fate vs Free Will is one of the most oft used literary techniques in writing. It is never more evident than in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The major theme of the story Macbeth is whether or not the story is fueled by the free will of Macbeth, or by his fate. Are the events in Macbeth a result of his mentality and outlook on life, or were they going to happen no matter what? Almost every major event that takes place can be traced back to this question. It can be viewed in different ways, and most people have their own opinions. Dissecting this question is a part of what makes teaching Macbeth still have so much value to this day. But there is a clear answer to this question upon further dissection. The story of Macbeth is fueled by his free will, which he perceives to be a necessary part of achieving his fate.
Fate is that one thing you are destined to do that has been designed just for you. Someone of a higher power designed a specific line of events to happen to you. It is all beyond your control, you did not pick your life, someone else gave you that life. Since the beginning, you were named, and everyone around you starts planning what you will become when you get older. You never really pick something for yourself because things “magically” fall into place; an opportunity presents itself and you take it. Everyone’s life is written entirely as sort of a book, you have the chance to pick the way you think but fate is what ultimately happened to Macbeth.
Lowe argues that Macbeth constantly presses the witches to reveal more, and acts under his own accord to commit the act of murder. The witches merely state that Macbeth will become king; they do not order him to kill Duncan. Lowe concludes that Macbeth is a culpable human, acting on his own ambition with help from the Witches. Macbeth, from a causation standpoint, reveals that the initial meeting with the Witches caused the downfall of Macbeth. Lowe states “Metaphorically speaking, the witches give Macbeth a flame, but Macbeth lit himself on fire and kept feeding that fire until he was completely destroyed. Thus, it can hardly be argued that Macbeth is a pawn of fate, a victim of circumstance. Rather, Macbeth creates his own tragic circumstance, freely murdering his way to his demise” (Lowe, 2005). Lady Macbeth also forces her own will upon Macbeth, calling him a coward to prick at his sides. The threat of being considered a coward in the eyes of his lover is more important than the problems anf implications of committing a murder. Macbeth values his self worth and personal gain than the life of his friends and allies. The murder of Banquo is what ultimately leads to his demise, says Lowe. Macbeth’s guilt takes the form of a ghost, coercing Macbeth into admitting his involvement in the murder of Banqou. This leads to the separation of Macbeth’s troops, whom later come to kill him in the final act. The Witches’ “prophecy” of kingship and grandeur, Macbeth’s senseless killings, and ultimately his guilt and remorse, are enough to make Macbeth believe he is acting out his
Look at the second set of prophesies. The witches tell Macbeth to beware of Macduff. They tell him that "no one born of a woman shall harm Macbeth." The witches are being sneaky here to give Macbeth the illusion that he cannot be harmed. Macduff eventually kills Macduff. Does Macduff, who is not born of woman, (his mother passed before he was born) kill Macbeth because of fate? Maybe he does but why does Macduff want to kill Macbeth anyway? Macbeth killed the king and took the throne, so there is an apparent reason that it was Macbeth?s choice.
Fate also plays a role in the death of Macbeth. Because the witches were right about Macbeth's life the first time, he believed them a second time, which led to his death. They told him that he should watch out for MacDuff, that he could not be harmed by any man who was born of a woman, and that he would reign until Birnam wood came to Dunsinane hill. This gave Macbeth a false sense of security and made him think that no one could ever harm him. However, the weird sisters' twisted words gave fate the chance to cause Macbeth's ruin when an army concealed by the branches of Birnam wood came to Dunsinane hill to bring Macbeth down.
Many people throughout the play are faced with fate and fate determines the success and worth of there actions. One who is most prominently faced with fate is Macbeth. After his multitude of deceptive and betraying actions it becomes his fate for all that he is done. Macduff speaks on this as he proclaims “Hail, king! For so thou art. Behold where stands the usurper’s cursed head. The time is
In the context of the fictional story of Macbeth, it is hard to argue that fate was not controlling his life and actions. Many prophecies were made that seemed impossible at first, but each one came true and things happened as expected, though maybe not in the exact way or at the exact time that they were thought to. It is pretty clear throughout the narrative that the concept of fate prevails in the context of Macbeth, but once these beliefs are placed into the realm of the real world, there is a lot more room for argument. Things in real life are less certain, and there are many variables that can affect a person’s opinion on this matter. Ultimately, it comes down to a personal decision that everyone exercises their freedom of choice on to establish what they believe.
Throughout life, many of us will find ourselves in some of the worst situations that leave us wondering who’s to blame. The truth is that the troubles that occur us are due to our own actions and sometimes due to fate or bad luck. Fate is one person's destiny and it can not be interpreted by simple mortals but a greater power beyond human understanding. Everything that happened to Macbeth or didn't happen him was a direct result of fate's plan for him. This is also true in everyday life. There is no such thing as chance and everything happens for a reason, eben though it may not seem like it at the time. It all comes back to fate. Nothing ever happens by coincidence and the power to choose is an illusion.
Fate may state what will be in one's life however, how that destiny comes about is a matter of man's own choice. In other words, incidents don't occur because our destinies are written. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare expertly uses the theme of fate vs. free will and raises the pre-eminent question of which holds power over the characters. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, fate is not the cause of his downfall, his own desires and choices prove to be the deciding factor.
Fate and free will, the beliefs that humans are either mere playthings to the universe or are in full control of their destinies. The tragic play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, has the ideas of fate and free will present throughout. The play opens on eleventh century Scotland, where the main character, Macbeth, meets with three witches who tell him that he is fated to become king. Macbeth decides to leave out chance, take matters into his own hands, and kill King Duncan. He soon becomes paranoid and sends orders to kill those he believes are a threat to his power. Although Macbeth was fated to become king, his downfall was caused by his own free will on the account of his choices to put faith in the witches, kill King Duncan, and kill the family of Macduff.
Whether or not the concept of fate is legitimate is regularly debated by many people. Some believe that the events of one’s life are predetermined by a supernatural power, out of human control. Others believe that free will allows us to create our own fate, and that one’s decisions determine how the events of one’s life play out. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, both fate and free will are predominant themes in the play. The ever-present supernatural aspect of the play can create an interesting debate over whether or not Macbeth’s downfall could have played out differently, or even been avoided completely. The witches’ prophecies had an impact on Macbeth’s actions, however, it is ultimately free-will that causes his downfall.
In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth’s destiny is determined by the choices he makes. The first hint to the reader of Macbeth’s choices comes as a warning from Banquo to Macbeth about believing the witches, or Weird Sisters. Once Macbeth starts to believe the witches, this belief facilitates his decisions to take certain actions. Macbeth’s choice to believe the witches also gives them control over him, which further illustrates how Macbeth’s destiny is fated by his choice to believe them. Throughout the play Macbeth has opportunities to stop believing in the witches, thereby choosing actions that might avoid a harmful fate. It is Macbeth’s free choice to believe the witches or not, and it is this choice and his resulting actions that leads to his fate.