Fate in William Shakespeare's Macbeth
The story of Macbeth is one that contains a two sided illustration in
it. On one hand, it is Macbeth who determines his own fate and on the
other hand ironically, fate determines his doom.
Tragedy to the ancient Greeks included fate or the gods presenting man
with an unavoidable destiny. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare's
witches give voice to Macbeth's destiny. The blending of right and
wrong, good and evil, and a general equivocal position begins with the
ominous appearance of the witches in Act I, Scene 1 of the play. For
Shakespeare they serve the role of the Greek gods in ancient tragedy.
With their comments "the battle's lost and won" (1.1.4) and "Fair is
foul and foul is fair" (1.1.11), we are prepared for the equivocal
uneasiness that pervades the entire work. Banquo shows perceptive
insight into the role the witches serve and their potential affecting
of the lives of both he and Macbeth when he says:
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. (1.3.123-126)
Afterwards Duncan proceeds to allow the new thane of Cawdor, Macbeth,
to deceive him at the cost of Duncan's life and cause what the first
thane of Cawdor had lost (the uprising against the king) to be won by
Macbeth. We again encounter double meanings when Angus speaking of the
first thane of Cawdor says
"But treasons capital, confess'd and prov'd
Have overthrown him." (1.3.115-116)
Examples like these pervade the play thoroughly enhancing the double
meaning to be found almost everywhere.
Macbeth's first appearance in the play finds him repeating the witch's
words from the opening scene: "So foul and fair a day I have not
seen." (1.3.38). After the witches first encounter with him and
Banquo, Macbeth says in an aside,
"If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me
Without my stir." (1.
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.
Million-dollar question: are the witches (1) playing on Macbeth's aspiration and placing the idea of murder in his head; (2) really private to some secret information about the way things are going to happen; or (3) actually controlling fate in some way?
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.
Some will argue that all the choices made by Macbeth were continuously his own, that he had these opportunities as a man to put his foot down and say no, and be able to draw the line where things should come to an end, the
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.
Fate is defined as the "development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power." Free will is described as actions done on one's own accord. In the story Macbeth written by Shakespeare's our main character is faced with being told his fate, however, he takes matters into his own hands and as a result creates chaos. Through the actions of Macbeth and other characters, we see the themes of Fate versus free will, Things are not what they seem, Nature versus the Unnatural, and Guilt.
In this passage Macbeth has come to visit the witches and demand that they tell him his fate. The witches decide to tell him his fate in the form of apparitions. The first apparition (not included in this passage) is to beware Macduff. The second apparition is called the “bloody child” ( 97), while the third is named “a child crowned, with a tree in his hand” ( 97). The witches play into Macbeth's ego when informing him of his fate, making them appear simple at first glance. These prophecies give Macbeth the idea that he’s invincible, leading him to believe that he can manipulate and control his fate.
No person can go through life without facing the consequences of their actions. In fact, it is generally believed that every action must have a reaction. This belief is exhibited in Shakespeare's Macbeth. In the play, Lady Macbeth was the push that led her husband, Macbeth, to kill their king. This murder causes a series of consequences for both characters, which ultimately lead to their downfall. These character’s actions led to negative repercussions, but the audience will have a hard time pitying them, as their tragedy appears to be self inflicted. This idea of a self wrought tragedy is apparent in Lady Macbeth, as she is initially seen as a brutal woman because she convinced Macbeth to kill king Duncan, and aided in the murder. However, her guilt eventually lead to her own demise.
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.
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.
Fate and supernatural are inevitably linked, they manipulate and motivate the main protagonist, Macbeth to explore tragic hero traits. The supernatural aspect of the play initially causes hubris within Macbeth. His first encounter with the supernatural force is when him and Banquo come across three strange witches, who predict their future prophecies. After Macbeth is named thane of Cawdor, one of the witches prophecies, Macbeth experiences a sudden pride and arrogance, causing him to misinterpret the meaning of fate. Macbeth attempts to master fate, taking desperate measures to assure it follows his ideal path, instead of letting it play out. Yet fate doesn't operate in such a manner, he is constantly fighting against the witches prophecies,
How much of an influence does fate have on the ideals of a person? Is Macbeth acting out the selfish desires of his own accord? Fate is thought to be unavoidable, and all the paths of life lead to a destiny that is inescapable. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, not only is Macbeth’s hand forced in committing a murder, his fate is expedited in the process. Macbeth is in control of his own destiny, but is spurned into decisions by the Witches and his wife. Although Macbeth believes he is controlled by fate, a more thorough inspection reveals his control over all his actions.
Macbeth is not a victim of fate, but he is a victim of his own choices and the power of suggestion. Macbeth on multiple occasions chooses evil over good, and these decisions lead to his circumstances. Macbeth is not a victim of fate, but an ambitious man who makes poor decisions that have terrible results for him.
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.