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Of Free Will In Macbeth, Oedipus And The Adjustment Bureau

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The idea of fate or free will is something that is often linked to human nature and is reflected in many pieces of writing. They poke and prod the reader of these two beliefs, and allow them to determine the reasoning behind each character’s actions. Examples would include the play Macbeth, Oedipus and the film The Adjustment Bureau, as the main characters make decisions based with or against the newfound knowledge. Overall, it is considered that fate often dictates the influential choices, while free will consists of everyday life activities. Oedipus the King is a story which consists of people run away from what their destiny is, and the truth according to the story is there is no escape and what is supposed to occur will happen. Their is …show more content…

This message comes from three prophets or witches which tell him that he will become king of the entire kingdom at one point and had brushed it off as a joke. After, he is told he had received a new title just as the witches had claimed, it seems as if this knowledge dictated all of the actions that lead up to the end of his reign. Macbeth goes through many unsavory activities to become king, just as he was told;however, nearing the end of his reign, he is told he will not be able to be slain by any women born person. He takes this information as he is invincible to essentially everyone around him, and believes his reign will never end. In his final stance, Macbeth realizes him mistake as Macduff is not of women born and he is then slain. This depicts how fate is inevitable for any and everyone and trying to escape the prophecy will only lead to further suffering for all parties involved. The Adjustment Bureau is a film in which the main character David Norris who gets insight on how everyone’s fate is controlled by a higher power, and according to the “book” he is unable to be with a girl he met. The film consists of the character David continually meeting Elise, which according to the higher ups he is not supposed to be with. Free will is explained by the agents as something that the

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