“All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter.” (Shakespeare. I.iii.52). In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth’s fate can be seen from two different viewpoints. Firstly, the witches could have complete power over Macbeth’s destiny while he has no control whatsoever. On the other hand, there is also the argument that Macbeth carves his own path due to his ambitious nature. However, the witches cannot control the fate of Macbeth because we control our own fates, and our own actions in the present are what shapes our future. Macbeth is seen as a very ambitious character from the start of the play while fighting against the rebels, to the end when he is slain. How he decides he uses his ambition
The play Macbeth is about how the main character Macbeth was blessed with prophecies to be king and his own actions stripped that gift away from him, leading to his death. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth’s starts out as a loyal soldier and the Thane of Glamis, but his demeanor and communication changes from being respectful, and loyal to being overconfident, and authoritative as he becomes more powerful over the course of the play. Right after Macbeth becomes the Thane of Cawdor he is thankful of Duncan for choosing him for this position, and Macbeth expresses that ¨the service and the loyalty (he) owe(s) in doing it pays itself. Your highness' part is to receive our duties.¨ (1.4.23-24) Although Macbeth is very honored to have this
Macbeth’s greatest weakness is his ambition, but it is also his greatest strength. Despite his ambition being one of his major weaknesses, it is not his sole weakness he exhibits that contributes to his inevitable death. At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’.
In Shakespeare’s day witches were not merely a novelty character brought out as a joke around Halloween. It was widely believed that witches were real and that they possessed powers that were considered to be of the devil. This belief in witchcraft eventually led to a widespread panic that was followed by the persecution of witches. Due to this belief in witchcraft at the time Macbeth was written and performed; the tone was already set. Shakespeare used this fear to create suspense within the play and it led to the involvement of the weird sisters and the crazed actions committed by Macbeth and his wife.
King is the highest honor someone could have during this time, with that comes respect and loyalty. The king is highly venerated and held at almost a holy standard. One would expect that someone who loves their country would also love their king. Often times the reason for someone not liking their king is the way they rule. Speaking in terms of the play Macbeth, Duncan-the king of Scotland- rules justly and fairly, but he still has plenty of traitors within his group of trusted men. Macbeth only becomes Thane of Cawdor, because of a traitor, but he himself later becomes a traitor.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare writes about a man named Macbeth, who has a very strong ambition to be the the king of Scotland. His credulousness led him into believing the prophecy from the three witches without thinking rigorously. Because of this prophecy, Macbeth is willing to do everything he can to gain the throne, even to the extreme of murdering someone. Shakespeare uses syntax, similes, and personification to convey the evolution of Macbeth’s insanity.
Often times, people go through rises and downfalls in their lives that they themselves are responsible for. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, both main characters, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, himself, are responsible for the downfall of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is responsible for the tragedy because she convinces and manipulates Macbeth into doing the deed. However, Shakespeare accomplishes in showing that Macbeth is more responsible for his own downfall than Lady Macbeth because he listens to the witches and follows his ambition rather than his conscience.
“If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, without my stir” (Shakespeare 144). Macbeth, a loyal subject to his king has an encounter that will change his fate with an ultimate effect on his free will. They claim three predictions, Macbeth will be the Thane of Cawdor and later crowned King but Macbeths lineage will not maintain the throne. After this supernatural confrontation, Macbeth questions this loyalty which will ultimately lead to his new fate carried out (LitCharts 1). Fully capable to act upon his own free will, Macbeth instead is driven by fate to his destruction which gives further insight of his character advancement. This fate and option of free will, is seen throughout the play yet shows itself prominent in Macbeth.
Fate versus free will is a theme well known throughout literature and in life as well. Is life controlled by fate, or are people’s lives dependent on the choices they make? In Macbeth, Shakespeare emphasizes the idea of fate vs. freewill, indicating that both elements play a role in the lives of individuals, as well as society as a whole. The main character, Macbeth’s, life is a combination of fate and his conscious decisions. The witches in Macbeth can control the fates of many, but only to a point. After that, the characters make their own choices which ultimately lead to their fates.
Throughout the Tragedy of Macbeth, we see several changes that Macbeth goes through. From the beginning, Macbeth is depicted as a hero and a valiant soldier. However as the novel continues, his character changes dramatically from a champion to a tyrant. After winning a battle, Macbeth is given the title of Thane of Cawdor. This sparks his ambition to do whatever it takes to remain in power. Macbeth’s mental condition begins to dwindle as time goes on, starting with the murder of Duncan.
Trust is what makes the world go round. Without trust, people wouldn’t know how to live. Sometimes trust can cause a person’s downfall. In Macbeth, trust fools plenty of citizens in Scotland. Although some people may become skeptical too quickly, people should be careful who they trust because people can have bad intentions and betray each other no matter what.
Have you heard of fate? Do you believe in fate? Well in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, fate plays an important role in Macbeth’s life. Fate is something that unavoidably befalls a person. 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.
The ideas of fate and freewill have been debated on for years. Citizens of the twenty-first century often believe that life is a combination of fate and personal choices. The truth is, the question has gone through all of our minds whether we know of it or not. Are our lives predetermined or do we pave our own paths? To this day, when something goes wrong in my life, my parents often tell me “it was meant to be.” Was it really meant to be or did it happen because of the choices I made? Shakespeare’s play Macbeth displays how fate and freewill are interconnected. Although fate may dictate what will be, how it comes to be is completely dependent upon our personal choices. Macbeth was given prophecies by the three witches but the choices he made,
Macbeth is a tragic hero because he redeemed a small measure of his nobility. He redeemed himself by fighting until the end of his life. He understood his fate and still fought. Macbeth also experiences guilt after everything that he has done. That shows he still has a conscious and has some good left over in him. “ Methought, I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep '.” (Act II, sc ii, Lines 45-47). Macbeth is extremely paranoid and guilty. He doesn’t believe he will be able to sleep after committing this
Great post Jordan! The theme of trust in fate is clearly presented throughout Macbeth. After learning about the prophecy from the three witches, Macbeth has the choice of taking matters into his own hands, or letting fate take over. However, during the play, Macbeth plans and carries out numerous murders in order to obtain the throne. Unfortunately, Macbeth's impatience for fate ends in his tragic death. Although Macbeth was written centuries ago, the messages from the tragedy can still be applicable in today's time. Macbeth does allow readers to see that sometimes it is better to be patient and to let fate take