Fate or Free Will?
Free will is most known as the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate. It is the ability to act at one’s own discretion. What this means is that only a person’s own decisions can impact the outcome of their life; that there is no set destiny. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, free will plays a very substantial and powerful role in the fate of Macbeth. In one of shakespeare's more famous plays, three witches give a prophecy to Macbeth, at the time a soldier serving under King Duncan, that he will one day become King himself. In the play, the witches give macbeth an unexpected prophecy. “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (Nfs.sparknotes.com, 2017). Here the witches are calling Macbeth the
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Macbeth was brought down by his ambition, but it was ambition that was exploited by the witches. Macbeth was never forced into any actions that occurred; he always had free will to choose his actions. His prophecy merely fed a desire that was already inside Macbeth. He corrupted his own ideas of fate by using his free will. He thinks that his fate is something he is able to control, and continually takes steps to ensure that. While he may think what happens to him is fate, it is not. He completely takes his life into his own hands, and makes it his own. After killing king duncan, Macbeth and his lady realize that they must now eliminate Banquo if the witches prophecy were to come true. In order for Macbeth to get away with such a deed he took it upon himself to hire men to kill Banquo and his son for him. In act 3 scene 1 Macbeth tells the hitmen, “Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour at most I will advise you where to plant yourselves, Acquaint you with the perfect spy o' th' time, The moment on ’t; for ’t must be done tonight, And something from the palace; always thought That I require a clearness. And with him— To leave no …show more content…
Fate is a concept that not everyone accepts, but something that Macbeth takes head
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?
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.
In the play The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the character Macbeth acts on free will as opposed to fate. The definition of free will is having the ability to make a choice; including the possession of options, logical reasoning for choosing each option, as well as understanding the consequences of each decision. Macbeth obeys all the criteria, using “fate” as an excuse to act like a murder-crazy lunatic, ultimately resulting in his demise.
Have you ever thought about whether or not people have a destiny in life, or about if they have a certain fate that could change everything they’ve ever known or dreamed of? This question usually sparks human interest. Psychologically, we all have a desire to know about ourselves and what lies before us. Three works that create the theme of fate and free will is Macbeth, Hercules, and Oedipus The King.
Throughout the story of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth acts in a much despised manner: he becomes a murderer and later, when king of Scotland, a tyrant. Many who have read or seen the play are left wondering how a man’s whole approach to life can change; how Macbeth turned from the hero whom all adored, to the tyrant who was hated and ended up a lone man, fighting for his life.
"One feels," says W.C. Curry, "that in proportion as the good in him diminishes, his liberty of free choice is determined more and more by evil inclination and that he cannot choose the better course. Hence we speak of destiny or fate, as if it were some external force or moral order, compelling him against his will to certain destruction." Most readers have felt that after the initial crime there is something compulsive in Macbeth's murders; and at the end, for all his "valiant fury," he is certainly not a free agent. He is like a bear tied to a stake, he says; but it is not only the besieging army that hems him in; he is imprisoned in the world he has made. (102)
"One feels," says W.C. Curry, "that in proportion as the good in him diminishes, his liberty of free choice is determined more and more by evil inclination and that he cannot choose the better course. Hence we speak of destiny or fate, as if it were some external force or moral order, compelling him against his will to certain destruction." Most readers have felt that after the initial crime there is something compulsive in Macbeth's murders; and at the end, for all his "valiant fury," he is certainly not a free agent.
In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, there are many instances of free will. Macbeth had the free will to take the life of Duncan,
Macbeth’s choice to put his trust in the witches, rather than take heed like Banquo, leads to his own destruction. Macbeth first encounters the three witches after his victory over the Norwegians. When Macbeth passes the three witches on the road, the greet him with, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!” All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (I,iii,49-51). Macbeth doubts these claims until Ross and Angus soon tell him of his newly acquired title, the Thane of Cawdor. He starts to believe the sisters to be true and that he just might become king. Macbeth jumps to the conclusion that the three sisters are of the supernatural and decides to trust them. He does so despite Banquo’s warning, “ But ’tis strange. And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s in deepest consequence...
Fate can be defined many different ways. Webster's Dictionary defines fate as a power that supposedly predetermines events. Fate is synonymous to the word destiny, which suggests that events are unavoidable and unchangeable. Whatever happens in life is meant to be and cannot be changed by mankind. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, fate plays an important role in the lives of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Banquo.
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
Free will is defined as the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate. It is the ability to act at one’s own discretion. What this means is that there is no set destiny; only a person’s own decisions can impact the outcome of their life. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, free will plays a very substantial and powerful role. In 11th century Scotland, three witches give a prophecy to Macbeth, a general in King Duncan’s army, that he will one day become King himself. They also give a prophecy to Macbeth’s best friend, Banquo, telling him that his descendants will be Kings. Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, hatch a plan to commit regicide in order to speed up the process. After their father is found dead, the King’s sons flee to England and Ireland and unknowingly casting the blame upon them. Macbeth is crowned King, and the prophecy has been fulfilled. Macbeth’s reign as King is one of violence and destruction, and he is overcome with guilt. He kills a lord named Macduff’s family because he finds out he has gone to England to help one of the sons. Macduff comes back to Scotland and slays Macbeth, and King Duncan’s eldest son becomes King. Some might argue that Macbeth was a victim of fate and circumstance, but it was of his own free will that he decided to murder King Duncan, and go on a reign of terror as King. Shakespeare’s Macbeth establishes that one’s free will can impact their decision-making abilities, ambition and paranoia. Free will is a concept that not everyone accepts, but something that Macbeth takes head on.
“Where we are, there’s daggers in men’s smiles; The near in blood. The nearer bloody,” Donalbain declares in Act 2, Scene 3 of the famous play, Macbeth. William Shakespeare, the author of Macbeth and many other famous writings, wrote the play Macbeth around the year 1606, and since then it has been a story acted out and told to many generations. This piece of literature is still relevant to this day, even though the main character, Macbeth, is in a different situation dealing with death, blood, and witches. Macbeth cheats fate and does many wrongdoings, which gets him killed in the end. The play, Macbeth, can teach generation to generation to do the right thing, be honest, and have ambition like Macbeth did to become king, but not involving
Macbeth shifts from being loyal and courageous to a murderer executing a treacherous plan to kill the current king due to supernatural suggestions that he would be king himself. Macbeth is discussed as a man worthy of recognition by other characters in act one scene two. In this scene, the Captain states: “For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)” (1. 2. 18). Macbeth is being praised for his courage and loyalty to Scotland and the king. This first impression is hastily contrasted after hearing the prophecy of the witches stating he will be “king hereafter” (1. 3. 53). Immediately after hearing this, Macbet...
When reading William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, it seems that Macbeth was predestined to do the terrible deeds that he did. However, there is also a valid argument that Macbeth exercised his free will and chose to do those things on his own. This discussion leads into many different topics, but it relates most to spirituality. The concept of free will and how it relates to Macbeth and our present lives yields a relevant and interesting topic for further discussion.