Examples Of Free Will In Macbeth

Words: 826

Pages: 4

Open Document

Fate or free will, does anyone live their life because it is their fate, or is it free will and the choices they make. We could also ask, is it a combination of both. In William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, the character Macbeth demonstrates the idea of being tempted by fate, although ultimately free will lead to his demise. This is first seen when Macbeth talks to the witches and finally, when Macbeth continues to kill to preserve being king.

Firstly, we can identify that Macbeth believes in fate. This is apparent when the three witches say “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter.” (I, iii, 50-52) When the witches say this Macbeth …show more content…
He quickly resorts to free will to make himself king. Macbeth schemes and outlines a series of events that will ultimately lead to Macbeth being crowned king. Macbeth calls to heaven and says “Stars hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.” (I, iv, 57-58). This means that Macbeth is asking heaven to look away while he considers to murder King Duncan. The fact he is asking heaven to look away means Macbeth knows what he is thinking is a sin. He then continues to carry out his plan. “I go, and it is done; The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell. That summons thee to heaven, or to hell.”(II, i, 71-12). Here, Macbeth says “ and it is done” but the reality is he still had time to use his free will to not murder King Duncan. After the bell rings, which is his signal to go through with his plan Macbeth allows his free will to make the choice to murder Duncan. After the murder Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth “I’ll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done” (II, ii, 65-66). This shows Macbeth is feeling guilt about the murder is just committed yet this does not stop him from continue to murder innocent people, driven by his free

Examples Of Free Will In Macbeth

possession, we obtain control. In Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth, there is a question as to whether or not Macbeth is driven by fate or free will. Throughout the play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, Macbeth acts upon the prophecies given to him by three witches. Some may consider the satisfaction of these witches' expectations as a reasonable sign that Macbeth's way is a destined one, bound to happen. Instead, the witches' prophecies for Macbeth, his remorseful remarks after the death of King Duncan…

Words 720 - Pages 3

Examples Of Free Will In Macbeth

we obtain control. In Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth, there remains a question as to whether or not Macbeth is driven by fate or free will. Throughout the play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, Macbeth acts upon the prophecies given to him by three witches. Some may consider the satisfaction of these witches' expectations as a reasonable sign that Macbeth's way is a destined one, bound to happen. Instead, the witches' prophecies for Macbeth, his remorseful remarks after the death of King Duncan…

Words 837 - Pages 4

Examples Of Fate Vs Free Will In Macbeth

Fate vs Free Will Throughout one of Shakespeare's famous plays Macbeth, he encompasses the idea of fate vs free will to demonstrate the effect of ambition. Macbeth s noble soldier of Scotland eager to become king, enabled his ambition and pride to take over his soul. He was once approached by three witches that would completely change his life. They advised him of his prophecies that would in the near future induce his tragedy. “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.50)…

Words 588 - Pages 3

Macbeth Universal Theme Essay

universal themes. In the well-known play Macbeth, a few of these universal themes are used. For example, ambition, guilt, things not being what they seem, and fate versus free will. These themes really give the play a relatable factor. Ambition is the strong desire to achieve something. In the play Macbeth ambition is exhibited through many of the characters. For example, in one scene Macbeth was second guessing killing King Duncan. To encourage him, Lady Macbeth says, “We, fail? If you get your courage…

Words 668 - Pages 3

Symbolism In Macbeth

tragedy, Macbeth. As this saying is repeated throughout the play the viewers continue to wonder, “is one’s actions beautiful on the outside or evil on the inside” and that is exactly what Shakespeare was trying to comprehend. This motif applies to the witches as they are ugly on the outside, but everything they tell to Macbeth is beautiful. Nevertheless, the witches told Macbeth of a prophecy that eventually led to the killing of numerous people and the death of Macbeth himself. So was Macbeth controlled…

Words 893 - Pages 4

Examples Of Dramatic Irony In Macbeth

Macbeth Test/Choice 3 Megan Dunn 5-19-2017 Macbeth Test Dramatic Irony is when the audience knows something that is going to happen before the characters in the play knows whats happening. It’s almost as if each scene foreshadows danger or guilt in the near future. An example of dramatic irony is, Act 1 scene 4, Duncan says he trusts Macbeth, and the audience knows that Macbeth is planning to become king. The audience knows that Macbeth is not aN honorable man, sneaky at most. First example…

Words 345 - Pages 2

Macbeth Free Will Research Paper

Some people believe that their whole lives are already planned out by the hands of fate, but everyone has free will and makes their own choices that shape the path that their life takes. Fate implies that a person’s life has a predetermined course of events that will inevitably take place. These predetermined choices in one’s life are believed to be made by a higher power or entity. Free will, on the other hand, is the idea that all people have the ability to make and act on their own decisions,…

Words 807 - Pages 4

Unnatural Events In Macbeth

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare there are many interesting catching themes such as, Ambition, Guilt, Trust versus betrayal, Fate versus free will, and Nature versus the unnatural. These themes brought a wide variety of interesting plot lines to engage the reader or viewer in this play. William used these devices to help him surprise and engage the viewer to understand the main idea of the play. For all of the characters the theme helps the viewer understand the character development.…

Words 530 - Pages 3

What Role Does Fate Play In Macbeth

In “Macbeth” time damaged the couple by the lost relationships, damages, and the couples irrationality. In “Macbeth,” Ambitious Macbeth becomes damaged by killing King Duncan. For example, Macbeth made a great effort to kill a higher individual who someone should not consider of killing. Because of Macbeth’s ambition, he killed people to become king quickly instead of letting fate decide it. Fate vs. Free will played a huge role in how Macbeth became damaged. Due to Lady Macbeth’s involvement,…

Words 198 - Pages 1

Macbeth's Fate

Macbeth, a Victim of his Choices Decision making is key in determining how ones life will evolve. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth, the main character, faces tough decisions just like any other person experiences in life. However, Macbeth’s choices have much heavier impact, including the deaths of others. The idea of what Macbeth is a victim of, his fate or free will, is seen throughout. At many points, Macbeth’s fate seems to be what he is a vicim of, but ultimately it is his own…

Words 725 - Pages 3