More evidence of free will can be found later in the Act, when Macbeth chooses not to tell his wife his plan by telling her “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night,”. Macbeth chooses to do this because he does not want his wife to have to keep more secrets on top of murdering Duncan. Chris Mccandless also makes choices that led to his chosen
The death of Duncan was the first corrupt act stemming from Macbeth’s ambition. Macbeth hears the witches prophecies for him, specifically “All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (I iii 151). After hearing this, his mind already reels with the idea of perhaps murdering Duncan for the role. Lady Macbeth strongly
Macbeth was always power-hungry as soon as he found out that he can kill Duncan , his first thoughts about it was “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man ,That function is smother 'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not.” Macbeth’s first thought after realising that he can be a king was to murder Duncan, That indicates that Macbeth always wanted to kill King Duncan to take the throne and when Lady macbeth got the letter from his husband explaining that the witches prophesied him saying that he can be a king the first thing that came in her mind was to kill Duncan and take over. She also talks about Macbeth always wanted to do it but he isn’t man enough to do this task “ Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be ,What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o ' th ' milk of human kindness ,To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” Also concludes that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth always wanted to kill King Duncan from the very past and that when they got to know that they can be the king and queen they were ready and prepared to kill Duncan
Free will is the idea that someone can make whatever decision they want to even though they have had outside influences. In the story, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, many characters struggle to keep their free will because the have so many outside experiences and influences affecting their lives. In this story, the characters that keep their free will, and are influenced by the outside world are usually women. The men usually don 't keep their free will in this case. Characters like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are good examples on how gender plays a role on people having free will or not.
The fact that Macbeth believes the witches’ prophecies are not evil nor good foreshadows how he will go on to kill any other person standing in his way to more power. His ambition blinds his mind to make him even think about ruthlessly committing a murder. This forceful way of gaining power will only lead Macbeth to become a “tyrant” in Scotland and his “fantastical” desires of killing Duncan and receiving the crown will lead Scotland to failure. Under Macbeth’s rule, Scotland seems to be in a terrible condition. With distrust among the people, there is tension all within the country, as Macbeth’s totalitarian regime had rendered the prosperity of Scotland. Macbeth is a tyrant during his rule, manipulating the minds of the people and using murders to clear out anyone that stood in his way, so that he can stay in power. Malcolm worries about the state of Scotland as he exclaims, “I think our country sinks beneath the yoke./ It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash/ Is added to her wounds. I think withal…” (Shakespeare 4.3.49-51). Malcolm notices the true state of Scotland under the rule of Macbeth, as he has forcefully gained his
He does not want fate to let him be king, he wants to kill the king instead. In this quote it states, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee”( Act 2 Scene 1 Page 2 Lines 33-35 Macbeth). He wants the strength and courage to go and kill the king, but he is having visions of a dagger that he is going to use to kill the king. In this second quote it is also saying, “And thence it is, That I to your assistance do make love, Masking the business from the common eye For sundry weighty reasons” (Act 3 Scene 1 Page 5 Lines 126-129 Macbeth). Macbeth is telling the murders that they need to kill Banquo and Fleance because they will interfere with his plans. He has to hide his real plans away from everybody else. In conclusion, Macbeth is a cruel and wicked person because he has killed the king and needs other people to go kill Banquo and Fleance so he could hide his real
The power of suggestion and the power of prophecy have a significant role in influencing the decisions one makes. This can be seen in the play, Macbeth, and in today’s contemporary society. Within the play, the evil third witch states the prophecy, “All hail, Macbeth, the future king!” to Macbeth, himself (I.iii.51). This absurd statement made by the malicious witches seems ridiculous to believe. Nevertheless, Macbeth is later seen to be highly gullible and an easy a target of persuasion when he decides to trust the witches. He asserts himself in act I, scene vii that “ if the assassination [of the King] could trammel up the consequence, and catch with his surcease success; that but this blow might be the be-all and the end-all here” (2-5). Macbeth, in this quote, is seriously contemplating whether he should kill the current king, King Duncan. He is under the influence that he must kill King Duncan in order to become king, because he believes in the prophecy and is trying to make it true. If he had not heard of this prophecy before, he most likely would not have even think to kill a man who is so highly honored
Shakespeare engineered a most impressionable character in Macbeth who easily succumbs to the extensive magnitude of opposing constraints. This character is Macbeth, who is the protagonist in the play and husband to a conniving wife, who in the end is the sole cause for Macbeth 's undoing. Conflicting forces in the play compel internal conflicts within Macbeth to thrive on his contentment and sanity as he his torn asunder between devotion, aspiration, morality and his very own being. He has developed a great sense of loyalty from being a brave soldier; however, his ambition soon challenges this allegiance. As his sincerity begins to deteriorate, his own sanity starts to disintegrate until the point where he cannot differentiate between reality
Throughout history there have been several people who have rose to power and used that power to rule over people or land. These people usually enforce this power over the people below them, who do not have as much power as him. Some of these people end up abusing their power or struggling to keep it. When discussing this, the common question becomes noticeable; can a person have power and keep power while still adhering to their morals? In certain situations while a person has power, people can temporarily lose their commitment to their morals, but may also be able to keep that commitment. Whether or not they have good family or friend connections and what level of power they have can greatly influence their morals. This is expressed thoroughly
Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, analyzes the tragic downfall of a man who pursued his prophecy given to him by three witches, and suffered the downfall because of it. Told his power was inevitable, Macbeth explores the idea of murdering the King to achieve his goal of becoming King himself. Macbeth continually faces this, contemplating the moral issue of committing murder to in turn, fulfill his powerful destiny. While facing this internal conflict, Lady Macbeth developes an influence over Macbeth as well. Driven by her own desire to be Queen, Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to commit the murder, by challenging his manhood and often reminding him that it is, in fact, his destiny. We see the two counter each other’s claims throughout this as
He goes from being a loyal soldier to a cruel tyrant killing all of his enemies. In the beginning of the play he is presented as a loyal soldier to King Duncan and he is widely respected and admired by people. It can seem questionable as to why Macbeth is an antagonist when he has the trope of a hero. Despite that image, his inner thoughts begin to reveal themselves, showing another side to Macbeth that people don’t know about. Macbeth soon admits to his dark lust for power and status beyond his capability. At first these thoughts remain hidden, but when the witches approach him with their predictions his desires reform his character. The witches wait for Macbeth and tell him series of predictions. The specific prediction, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.51) causes Macbeth’s desire to become more intensified. Their prediction that he would become king brings a change in his character. The audience can now see his desires as well as his ambition. At this point, Macbeth is still hesitant of revealing his true nature, but the audience gets a peek of what he yearns for. In addition, the witches’ predictions are known to be paradoxical, their predictions are never straightforward; they tend to have different interpretations. Macbeth kills King Duncan to obtain the power he was told he’d get. Despite that, the witches never said to kill King Duncan; they told him he would become king. Macbeth’s true character reveals his natural cruelty when Lady Macbeth persuades him to kill Duncan for
Fate, destiny, prophecy all important pieces of tall tales, stories, and legends, that give everything and everyone an unchangeable path. In the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the lives of man are once more played to the tune of a mischievous master. Though throughout the tale, Macbeth seemingly has free will, but in the end, realizes that he was just a pawn in someone’s game to be thrown away at a moment’s notice. As shown throughout the Book many times the witches tell Macbeth of his demise showing that he had truly no control of what was to come. In this case as in all cases the creator is at fault for creating Macbeth to bring horror, pain, and death to all those he betrayed.
Macbeth’s ambition is one of the most prominent things that drive Macbeth in the play and truly becomes evident when he hears of the Witches prophecies. When the witches stop talking, he demands to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more” (I, III, 73-74). This portrays his excessive curiosity on the subject as well as his craving for more desirable prophecies. This ambitious nature and craving for power is also demonstrated only moments after hearing the witches, when he starts formulating a plan to kill Duncan in order to make the third prophecy come true. “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion[killing Duncan]/Whose horrid image doth unify my hair” (I, III, 144-145). This quote indicates that the force of ambition is so strong within Macbeth that even he himself cannot understand why it is making him think of killing Duncan. Likewise, Macbeth’s ambition to become king is further emphasized after Duncan names his son Malcolm as his successor. Here, Macbeth says that he will have to “oerleap,/For in my way it [Malcolm] it lies” (I, III, 55-57). Macbeth’s ambition is what is causing him to intervene with his prophecy and pursue his goal (rather than leave it to chance). In a way, it is Macbeth’s own “black and deep desires” that make him kill in the first place as the witches never tell him to do so. Furthermore, apart from ambition, it is Macbeth’s own weak will and moral system that causes him to do the actions that result in his downfall. Macbeth’s weak will is undeniable and is illustrated before killing Duncan. “I have of spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself/And falls on the other” (I, VII, 25-28). Even after listing all of the reasons why not to kill Duncan and coming to the conclusion that it is only ambition driving him, he still quickly succumbs to Lady Macbeth’s
“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.
In conclusion, Macbeth’s fate was not predetermined; the decisions he made were fully his.While he might of been influenced by the prophecy, he still completed the actions of his own free