Self Determinism In Macbeth

At first Macbeth seemed skeptical of what the witches were saying until the title of thane of cawdor is actually bestowed upon him. Another prophecy the witches gave was “ all hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!”. The witches telling him he will be king inspire him to plot the death of duncan the current king so can become the king of scotland. Macbeth acting on this prophecy eventually sets into motion the entire events of the play. The last of the first group of prophecies is when the witches say to banquo “ Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none”.

Although he was hesitant to eliminate the king he pushed himself to go through with the deed. In this drama was basically envisioning the dagger he was suppose to use to kill Duncan. In Act II Macbeth states the following… “I go and it’s done: the bell invites me. Hear it is not Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell.” (scn I ln 62-64). Also further along in the passage when Macbeth felt like Banquo might become a threat to his innocents and tell someone what the witches had prophesied to them he talked two murders into killing Banquo in Act III Macbeth said “have you considered of my speeches?

THIRD WITCH: ‘All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!’ This scene is the seen that Macbeth gets the idea of fate in his head and sets the the chain of events in motion, if he had not gotten this idea or had not heard the prophecy the prophecy would not be fulfilled. After Duncen had pronounced Macbeth thane of Cawdor, he pronounced his son Malcom the prince of Cumberland. Now Macbeth realises that he will not become king unless he acts on it. Macbeth tries to master fate, to make fate do exactly what he wants. He does this by murdering king

Therefore, in order to keep it a secret he arranges with murders to kill Banquo. Keeping his greed high, so he can get closer to the top. After Banquo was killed, Macbeth visits the witches once again to receive his apparitions.Which led him to his next proposal to killing Macduff’s family. “What need I fear of thee? But yet I’ll make assurance double sure and take a bond of fate.

He feared this more than anything else, what would happen after the murder. However it took him until this point to realize all he had sacrificed for a “fruitless crown” (66)that the witches gave him. For Macbeth, there seems no way out, no way to install his sons as the future kings. Not only is Banqo a talented tactician, he is also backed by a prophecy coming from witches who see the future. How can Macbeth escape a man who does not get himself in trouble and the verdict of a prophecy?

He uses supernatural themes, violent themes and more. He is able to show the audience the influence of fate and free will have on people and how their lives were effected. As Macbeth rises in power he seeks advice form the witches and fear of being overthrown he starts killing those who he think are a threat to the throne. Quote from the third witch, “All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.

The witches manipulate Macbeth, telling him half of the truth in the prophecies, especially in the third prophecy involving Macbeth becoming king. Without Macbeth realizing the minor fault in these prophecies, he starts to gradually become more ambitious and more determined to kill Duncan in order to become king quickly as possible. The witches advance the plot again later in the play when Macbeth demands answer of his fate. They show Macbeth three more prophecies spoken by apparition; a head wearing a battle helmet, a blood-covered child, and a child wearing a crown and carrying a tree. The witches show Macbeth the three apparitions who tell him, Beware Macduff; / Beware the thane of Fife… Be bloody, bold and resolute; laugh to scorn

So Macbeth kills the current king and then he kills Banquo. Macbeth who is trying to make his ways of gaining power remain unknown finds himself in trouble and asking the witches for another prophesy. The witches’ prophesize that Macbeth will not die by a man that is born of a woman and the Burnham woods will begin to move. They also tell him to beware of Macduff. While Macbeth is contemplating the things that the witch has said he hears a screech.

Beginning with Lady Macbeth summoning evil spirits, to her not being able to hear the horrible news, to Macbeth questioning the masculinity of three murderers, to Macduff deciding to do more than just sit back and watch, to the death of the son of the King of England, gender roles can be found in crack and corner of Macbeth. Starting early in the play, after reading Macbeth’s letter about being told his prophecy of becoming king, Lady Macbeth decides that it is Macbeth’s fate to become king. She knows how loyal Macbeth is to Duncan but she knows she can force Macbeth to betray Duncan. Shakespeare uses this moment to go against tradition and has the good wife of the honorable man start meddling in evil. To do this, she calls upon unholy “spirits/That tend on mortal thoughts” to “unsex [her] here” (I.v.46-49).

The question of whether we have free will or not is a question that has been pondered through time and is still relevant today as we continue to analyse the possibilities and think more philosophically. The concept of fate is applied throughout Macbeth through the use of supernatural elements and the events that occur due to Macbeth’s actions. The supernatural plays a significant role in influencing Macbeth’s fate and therefore his downfall. The witches start off the idea of fate when they reveal to Macbeth that he will become king and so thinking it is the only way to fulfil their predictions he kills Duncan and becomes king. Although many endorse the idea that Macbeth is a helpless victim of fate, they also question whether or not Macbeth would have ended up with the same fate if he had chosen to go down a different path.