Trapped by Fate In Macbeth Macbeth struggles with the idea of fate versus free will. When he believes, he can control his own destiny, he eventually comes to realize that fate is more powerful than free will. Macbeth's journey shows that despite his best efforts to change the course of his life, to fulfill his prophecy to be king, he cannot escape the fate that has been predetermined for him by the witches. In the play “Macbeth”, Shakespeare explores the theme that fate is more powerful than free will, showing how a person's ambition and desire for power can lead them to make choices that cannot be undone. The first quote in Macbeth that supports how fate is more powerful than free will is, “if chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir.” (i, iii, 9). The witches have prophesied that Macbeth will become king, and this quote provides evidence that Macbeth is already enjoying the idea of becoming king. The quote suggests Macbeth believes that his fate is already predetermined, and that he does not need to do anything for these prophecies to become true. He believes that if it is meant to be, then it will happen on its own. This …show more content…
The quote Macbeth says is, “I am in blood, Stepp’d in so far that, should i wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (iii, iv, 57). The quote is significant because it shows that Macbeth has become so invested with his ambition and his desire to maintain his power that he feels he has no choice but to continue going until he reaches his goal, which is to be powerful and great. The metaphor of being "in blood" suggests that Macbeth has already committed many violent acts that he is associated with and connected with. The quote also suggests that Macbeth is aware of the consequences of his actions, but that he feels he has gone too far to turn back now and if he stopped, everything he has done has been for
English Essay, Macbeth Shakespeare’s extensive use of symbols throughout Macbeth (1606) provides us with deeper understandings of the characters within the play. ‘The choices we make determine our destiny’ is the driving quote for this essay and is an ongoing motif throughout the play Macbeth. This quote signifies that the decisions you make within your everyday life will determine the outcome of your future and destiny. The releletivity of this quote can relate to every character in this play but the most relevent example of this saying would be the tragic hero of the story Macbeth and his partener Lady Macbeth.
Jeremiah Phillips Mrs, Asia English 2 19 May 2023 Fate Vs. Free will in Macbeth The debate between fate and free will has been ongoing for centuries In Macbeth by William Shakespeare the protagonist Macbeth encounter withes while returning from battle on the heath. This is when he encounters withes who relay his fate, and uncovered that he is destined to become king. Macbeth after apprehending what the withes told to him began to pursue to become king by any means.
The prophecy of the witches in the beginning of the play demonstrates the philosophical idea of determinism proving that Macbeth could not ignore what the witches prophesied for him. The influence of Lady Macbeth’s manipulation proves that Macbeth’s psychology gave him the illusion of free will. Macbeth is again given the illusion of choice when he kills the king; however, his so-called choices are easily disproved by determinist beliefs. Finally, as Macbeth faces death he realizes his fate is determined by a higher power just as fatalism suggests. Philosophical ideas that can be understood through the play, show that Macbeth did not act of his own free will.
“If fate means you to lose give them a good fight anyhow” These lines best describe Macbeth's mindset in his final moments but was this indeed his fate or was it from a result of his failures such as not targeting the heirs of the king killed, destroying his comfortable life so that he could be a king, or giving his fated enemy to stop no matter the cost. The story of Macbeth is set in Scotland in the 11th century. The story is of a Scottish nobleman called Macbeth who receives a prophecy that he will become king, but the sons of his friend Banquo will have a dynasty, not Macbeth. Throughout the play, Macbeth gains and maintains his power through deceit and murder and was until may be overthrown by one of Banquo's sons. Although Macbeth at the end of the play resigned himself to his fate at the end of the play, one often wonders if he had simply done something different if he could have saved himself if he had done something different.
While the other side believes his destiny has been pre-determined. The book supports both sides but one side outweighs the other with the amount of evidence it has. Let us take a look at the first side, the people who believe that Macbeth’s free will is deciding his destiny. The main claim of the first side is that Macbeth’s destiny is being altered as he makes decisions throughout “The Tragedy of Macbeth” instead of being
In the play The Tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare a character Macbeth was told he was going to be king and he did everything in his power to make it happen. Macbeth tries to control the future by listening to lady macbeth and takes matters into his own hands to become king he did unspeakable things to make sure his prophecy came true. Macbeth allowed Lady Macbeth to convince him to not wait around to be king and take action to make certain that he will become king. Three witches told Macbeth that he would soon become king and when lady Macbeth heard she knew she would become queen so she became adamant on it happening she couldn't wait for the prophecy so she fed Macbeth terrible ideas for the prophecy to come true sooner than
As individuals, we have a certain degree of control over our own lives and the decisions we make. While external factors such as social pressure, cultural norms, and personal circumstances can influence us, ultimately, we have agency in choosing how we respond to those factors. This is portrayed through William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, the titular character Macbeth is the protagonist, a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. Consumed by ambition and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. However, his guilt and paranoia lead him to commit more murders in order to maintain his power, and he becomes increasingly tyrannical as his
As soon as Macbeth becomes than he realizes that if everything is going to be decided by fate he is just going to wait for it to happen. Shortly after he becomes very impatient saying “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step/ On which I must fall down or else o’erleap,/ For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;/ Let not light see my black and deep desires./ The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be/ Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”
Shakespeare presents the idea tht fate doesn’t change no matter what you do. But Macbeth truely didn’t believe this. As we can see in the play Macbeth the witches state that, “ Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none so all hail Macbeth and Banquo” (Act 1 Scene 3). Which basically says Banquo won’t be king but his descendants will be. Once Macbeth had relized that his descendants won’t be king(s) he has Banquo killed, which fufilled that Banquo won’t be king, but the murderers that Mabeth hired failed to kill Fleance, which still gives the chance that he or Banquo’s descendants could eventually rule.
Free will is the person’s choice to make their own decisions. They make their decisions without the involvement of superior power. In Macbeth, this definition is clearly shown, as he could have made some decisions independently, without the involvement of fate. Macbeth thought to himself, “On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my way it lies.” (I,IV,51-52).
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth the witches informs Macbeth of his fate that he will become the king in the future. Macbeth believes the witches words and Lady Macbeth persuade him to become the king and murder all the people that get in the way. Shakespeare shows us that fate is complicated by our actions, Macbeth will do anything to meet his fate that in the end lead him to his death because of his greediness.