Free Will In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there is a question as to whether or not Macbeth is driven by fate or free will. The three weird sisters approach Macbeth with prophecies that will all come true in the end. It would appear that Macbeth is just following destiny at first. However, Macbeth always had a choice throughout the play to choose his own fate. Macbeth journeyed to his murderous doom through his own free choice.

‘Two truths are told/ As happy prologues to the swelling act/ Of the imperial theme (I.iii.127-129). Macbeth enjoys the thought of perhaps becoming king in this quote. He is optimistic about the witches’ prophecies, and deep inside, he hopes that they will come true. The two truths are the prophecies of becoming thane of Glamis and Cawdor. The word ‘happy’ reveals his excitement about the possibility of being king; if one prophecy came true, why not the other? Macbeth is especially influenced by the prophecies during the end of the play. ‘[…] for none of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth (IV.i.80-81)’. This prophecy causes Macbeth to think he is invincible. It reinforces his confidence so that he is blinded from its true meaning. However, the prophecy is confusing, since all humans are born from a mother, then logically, no human should be able to defeat Macbeth. Therefore, it is understandable why Macbeth becomes extremely hubris following this prophecy. The witches’ gave Macbeth a nudge in the beginning and then pushed him to his death in the end using the prophecies. Without the assurance of these prophecies, Macbeth would have never acted on his ambition alone and there would be no play to analyze.

   Destiny "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." (William Jennings Bryan) Are we in control of our own destiny, our own fate, or are our lives really already planned and mapped out for us? Does Macbeth willfully choose evil in order to achieve his "destiny"? Or, is his "destiny" doomed by the witches' prophecies? Macbeth may not have made any of his same choices, if the three Weird sisters hadn't come to him. In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Macbeth is no pawn of fate. Although Macbeth was destined to become king, the path he chose to take to achieve his aspiration of obtaining the throne was of his own free

Throughout the story of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth acts in a much despised manner: he becomes a murderer and later, when king of Scotland, a tyrant. Many who have read or seen the play are left wondering how a man’s whole approach to life can change; how Macbeth turned from the hero whom all adored, to the tyrant who was hated and ended up a lone man, fighting for his life.

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth miscontruses the witches prophecies. The prophecies cause Macbeth to think differently.“All Hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter”(Shakespeare 1.3.50). The witches first tell Macbeth that he will become king but they do not tell him when or how. “... a prosperous gentleman, and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief” (Shakespeare 1.3.73-77). Macbeth knows it will be impossible to become king if the king is still alive. “Two truths told, as happy prologues to the swelling acts of the imperial theme” (Shakespeare 1.2.70-78). Since two of the witches

To begin, the witches are the catalyst to Macbeth’s crimes because the convince him that he will become king. Macbeth first meets the witches while returning from a gruesome battle and it is safe to say that they greet him with some audacious titles. They initially greet him as the Thane of Glamis and the Thane of Cawdor, but it is their final greeting which has the greatest effect on Macbeth. The witches hail Macbeth as someone “that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.53). This ignites a fire inside Macbeth, who is an immensely ambitious person. He begins to fantasize about the luxurious life he would have if he were the king of Scotland and he suddenly has the temptation to kill King Duncan. Although the witches’ prediction is favourable, Macbeth has no reason to believe them, at least until one of their other predictions turns out to be true. This

“Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme” (l.lll.130-132). Macbeth chooses to believe that he is to inherit the throne after the two other prophecies become true. He doesn’t choose to believe this because the witches are trustworthy or because it is clearly evident that he is next in line. Rather, he chooses to believe the prophecy because he is thinking selfishly and wants to be king. This first choice made by Macbeth leads to his downfall because he soon becomes obsessed with becoming king.

Fate vs Free Will is one of the most oft used literary techniques in writing. It is never more evident than in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The major theme of the story Macbeth is whether or not the story is fueled by the free will of Macbeth, or by his fate. Are the events in Macbeth a result of his mentality and outlook on life, or were they going to happen no matter what? Almost every major event that takes place can be traced back to this question. It can be viewed in different ways, and most people have their own opinions. Dissecting this question is a part of what makes teaching Macbeth still have so much value to this day. But there is a clear answer to this question upon further dissection. The story of Macbeth is fueled by his free

Many people say that you can’t do anything without your own free will. With everything that I have learned in Macbeth by William Shakespeare is that that is not true. Macbeth by William Shakespeare is about a man named Macbeth who was given a prophecies by three witches that he will become king. With major influence from Lady Macbeth he kills the king and takes the throne. Lady Macbeth influenced him and taunted him but many say that Macbeth had his own free will.

Before any of the murderous activity occurs, Macbeth does not experience small, ambiguous premonitions, he is directly told by mysterious, dark figures things that are "ordained" to happen. Although these mysterious prophecies seem doubtful at first,

Introduction: Responsibility is being accountable for something within one's control. Relating to Shakespeare's play Macbeth, the supernatural is held responsible for Macbeth’s actions, despite actions being within Macbeth’s control. Due to the facts, people have the free will to make their own choices. Moreover, the actions chosen by people are the result of their own desires. Accordingly, the supernatural should not be blamed for the actions of others, as people are responsible for their own fate.

At the first encountering of the three weird sisters by Macbeth, they present to Macbeth a foreshadow of his destiny by saying, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!;/ All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane

Macbeth essay test Shakespeare is one of the most talked about writers throughout history. The way he mold words into sentences and stories is truly astounding. Within many of his writings fate and destiny contribute to the plot.

Imagine you are living in a peaceful kingdom and suddenly some witches tell you that you are going to be the king. Until you go take action and this happened, In the book, “Macbeth by William Shakespeare”, Macbeth’s sense of overconfidence, the witches prophecies and lady Macbeth leads to his demise.

In the beginning of the play, the witches make three prophecies. First, that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor. The second part of the prophecy is that Macbeth will become King. The third prophecy being that Banquo will be father to future kings. When Macbeth first hears the prophecy, Duncan holds the position as king. King duncan is also a very loved king by his people. Macbeth and Duncan even have a good relationship. Macbeth is Duncan’s greatest war hero and because of Macbeth’s great success in battle, Duncan rewards him by promoting him to the position of Thane of Cawdor. With this promotion, Macbeth realizes that the witches first prophecy was true. With this realization, Macbeth’s head begins to fill with thoughts of killing King Duncan to speed up the process so that he can become king. When he tells his wife of the prophecies and his promotion, she becomes extremely