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Examples Of Free Will In Macbeth

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In many circumstances it can be hard to understand why something happened, especially whether it was fate or free will. If it was fate then what was going to happen was already decided, and if it was free will then whatever the character chooses will result in a different ending. In Macbeth, a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, Lord Macbeth receives multiple prophecies that end up coming true which leads many to believe that all of his actions are a result of fate, but along the way it is shown that Macbeth tends to make his own decisions showing that it could also be a result of free will. Even though Macbeth wasn’t able to escape his fate or prove that the witches prophecies were false, Macbeth's downfall was a result of free will, seeing that he made …show more content…

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.” (1.4.55-60) At this point Macbeth doesn’t feel that he could wait much longer to become kind because nothing was happening. He also knew that Malcolm was getting in the way, so he decided to do something about it, which lead to the murder of Duncan. Earlier on Macbeth thought that if the witches were right, he might as well let fate take its course. According to the prophecies "If chance will have me king, why, chance may/ crown me/ Without my stir.” (1.4.157-159) Macbeth doesn’t want to do something terrible at this point in order for himself to become king, so he’s decides to just wait it out. This decision though, ends up being an

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