Fate Vs Free Will In Macbeth

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The entirety of Shakespeare’s Macbeth hinges on the prophecy set forth by the witches at the beginning of the play. Likewise, many of the events in Act 3 comply with their predictions, illustrating that the actions undergone by key characters are a result of fate, rather than free will. Specifically, at the beginning of the act, Banquo brings up the “king, Cawdor, Glamis, all / As the Weïrd Women promised, and I fear / Thou played’st most foully for ’t” (3.1.1-3). In this instance, Lord Banquo acknowledges that if Macbeth actually killed Duncan, it would fulfill the witches’ prophecies. This leads him to fear that perhaps his future has already been envisaged by the three magical beings, and nothing he does is an outcome of free will. Furthermore,

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