The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare portrays the story of Macbeth who is driven by his vaulting ambition, which causes him to commit heinous crimes. Someone with vaulting ambition has the desire to achieve as much as possible. In the beginning of the play, three witches tell Macbeth a prophecy which does in fact seem like it’s Macbeth’s destiny. Although some believe that Macbeth is a victim of fate which let him follow his destiny, he actually let his vaulting ambition get to the best of him. Before Macbeth thought about being king, he had much respect for Duncan. Macbeth was also originally the Thane of Glamis. This changes when Macbeth and Banquo come across three witches who give both of them prophecies. Macbeth’s vaulting ambition comes into action when the third witch tell Macbeth that …show more content…
Macbeth’s destiny was out of his control. The interference of fate, in the form of the witches, is what caused his inevitable downfall… Once the idea was placed inside his head, however, it consumed him.” (Sharma 1). Yes, it is true that macbeth went on to do certain things because of what the witches told him, but that only contributed to his vaulting ambition. The prophecies from the witches motivated Macbeth to do whatever it takes to become king and to keep his power, which does not make him a victim of fate. If Macbeth were to be a victim of fate, he would not have done anything to get crowned as king, he would just let his fate take control. When a person has the ambition to achieve something, they are going to do whatever it takes to reach their goal. If a person if very ambitious, they have all control of what paths to take in order to reach their destiny. But a person who lives by fate has no control over the events in their life which leads them to an undetermined destiny. Out of those two types, Macbeth was a very ambitious person who chose what paths to take to become king and keep his
In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, there is a deep relation to ambition. Macbeth's ambition started after the witches told him that he was going to be king after Duncan died, so then Macbeth and Lady Macbeth just decided to kill Duncan. After this first murder he then decided that he would do anything to keep his crown, since he was so hungry for power. Guilt soon got the best of him which then led to his demise.
The strive of an ambition for power can be very tempting, but one should be careful on how thirsty they get, because it could be just that power that they are striving for that could lead to their downfall. This is shown in William Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth. Macbeth is a brave kind hearted soldier who is loyal to his king until he meets three witches. They give him prophecies of the future and this embarks him on a path full of regrets. In Macbeth, Shakespeare develops the idea that when one is confronted with circumstances they can be affected in different ways.
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.
Fate and free will both have a strong rooting in the play Macbeth. The role of fate was to tell Macbeth that he was one day to become king of Scotland. Fate was not the cause of Macbeth’s downfall. The actions made under Macbeth’s free will are the sole reason for his own downfall. Macbeth was afraid that he might not become king, so he took matters into his own hands to be absolutely sure he would attain the throne. He decided to leave out chance and take the throne for himself by killing Duncan. By leaving out chance, Macbeth left out the chance for fate to bring 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.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can be anything you want to be”. He believed that free will is enough to allow people to be what they want to be. On the other side, tales such as Greek mythology speak of inescapable destinies locked in by fate. Whether the fate is targeted at a god or a hero, he tries everything to eschew the prophecy, except the fate always comes true; often the free will’s resistance against the fate acts as the root of the fate. One of William Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth, revolves around issues involving fate and free will. The main character Macbeth is seen attempting to invalidate unfavorable prophecies by his free will. Macbeth is not under complete free will, but he is a mere victim of ruthless psychological manipulation disguised in the name of fate; it leads him to the “fates” that should never have occurred.
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.
The comparison between Fate and Free Will has been going on for centuries. Fate is like what is pre-decided for what is going to happen in the future. Everyone wants to have a choice in life and be free. Sometimes having the opportunity to choose something can make it harder for that person. Throughout the play, Macbeth fights himself on whether or not to go through all of these horrendous courses to become king. He knows it is not the right thing to do, but he has Lady Macbeth telling him to do everything, even when it’s wrong. The three evil sisters are not much help either. They keep feeding him these predictions and make him believe that he has control over what is to come. Macbeth becomes very torn, but winds up listening to his wife and the three witches. He has no excuse for his actions because he had many chances to fix or change them. Macbeth's ruinous decisions and actions are initiated by free will and eventually leads to his death.
...his wife caused Macbeth to kill the King, kill his best friend Banquo, and kill his counterpart Macduff’s family. These choices eventually caused his downfall; in the form of a beheading by Macduff. The concept of fate against free will is often examined in Macbeth, which is what Shakespeare wanted people to do, and in real life. Many people believe that everyone controls their own destiny; that the outcome of their life is based upon the decisions they make. Others conclude that people have a set path through life. Some conceive the idea that life is a mix of both, where people’s decisions have an impact on their life, just not on the outcome. The concept of “fate vs. free will” will continue to be examined, and plays like Shakespeare’s Macbeth allow people to do that.
Macbeth illustrates a debate between fate and free will. Are people’s destinies already set in stone? Do destinies come about as a consequence of our actions? How much free will is truly bestowed upon people? Originally, it may seem that the malicious, manipulative women are to blame for Macbeth’s fate, but because they are women, they do not possess the equal amount of power a man has. Macbeth can decide whether or not he pursues his “destiny,” while they can merely impose their point of views. Macbeth must take responsibility for acting upon his ambitions. However, many wonder, what if Macbeth had not acted upon the prophecy at
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.
Ambition is a strong desire or drive to succeed or achieve something. It can help a person to strive at getting something they want. If someone wants something badly enough, their ambition will help them not give up until they achieve at getting what they want. But also, if a person has too much ambition, it could make that person do destructive things to get what they want and they will hurt anyone or anything that gets in their way.
Macbeth's destiny and his lust for power, confirmed by the Three Witches and Lady Macbeth, leads to destruction. Every act that Macbeth commits effects the kingdom as a whole. Macbeth's indecisiveness and his understanding of success cause this destruction. This lust for power leads Macbeth, as it would all men, to an evil that exist in everyone. It is his destiny to fail.
The vigorous desire to achieve and willingly attain something holds the capability to greatly affect one's life. William Shakespeare's play Macbeth establishes the immense effect and influence of ambition. After gaining power over his country Scotland, the protagonist, Macbeth, experiences an internal downfall as he battles between his wants and moral judgement. He struggles to maintain stable relationships with others as his selfish desires and goals hurt those around him when achieved. In addition to clashing with himself and others, he is seen as a tyrant leader and is slowly turned against by Scotland's nation as well as England. Shakespeare's play Macbeth provides the reader with a clear understanding of ambition's corrupting power in Shakespeare's tragic character Macbeth, through his inner conflicts, struggle to maintain stable relationships with those surrounding him, and clash with society.
In the beginning of the play we are first introduced to Macbeth as a Scottish general and thane of glamis, is led to wicked thoughts by the prophecies of the three witches he begins to change especially after their prophecy that he will be made thane of Cawdor comes true.