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What Is Free Will In Macbeth

882 Words4 Pages

Ethan Smith
Mr. Flanagan
College Prep Literature
19 September 2015

Free Will in Macbeth In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare free will determines the outcome of the events. Free will is having the ability to make your own decisions. Macbeth shows free will by deciding to interfere with the witches prophecy for him. Macbeth makes important decisions when the witches present him with the apparitions. Macbeth's ability to make his own decisions and human nature eventually lead to his death. At the beginning of the play Macbeth says, "the prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap. For in my way it lies"(1.4.55-57). From this quote Macbeth shows that he is thinking about interfering with the witches …show more content…

At this moment in the play Macbeth thinks that the choices he makes will not effect the witches prophecy for him. After making this statement Macbeth thinks about killing the current king Duncan. However, during this time Macbeth is conflicted because he does not think he has a good reason to kill the king. "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition. Which oer' leaps itself and falls on the other" (1.7.25-28). Here Macbeth shows his willingness to do anything to gain power. He admits that even though he doesn't have a good reason to kill Duncan he still wants to. Macbeth shows his free will by saying, "I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know"(1.7.90-93). This shows that Macbeth is fully committed to killing Duncan. By making the decision to kill Duncan Macbeth is speeding up the witches prophecy. This decision leads to Macbeth being crowned …show more content…

Humans naturally are a little selfish and greedy. It is natural for people to do what is best for them. Macbeth is greedy, power hungry, determined, and ambitious. He was already Thane of Glamis, but once the witches told him that he would be king he became obsessed with power. Macbeth was motivated to make his decisions by jealousy, greed, and selfishness. All humans express these qualities to some degree, but Macbeth let them completely control him. Once Macbeth became king he was paranoid because he did not want to lose all the power he had just gained. Macbeth's feelings caused him to make bad decisions that ended up harming him in the

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