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The Choices Seal the Fate (MacBeth)

 

            
             Fate is a supposed power beyond human control that determines the outcome of events in ones life. If one's fate is told to him or her, as in a prophecy, does one have the power to change the outcome? Or is fate a power in itself that does not allow for any change? Can a person of great will and determination overcome a predetermined path? Do unnatural powers, such as witchcraft have the power to change fate? In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, these questions arise. Macbeth is described as a man who is brave and strong, a warrior. But what of his character, his moral fiber? After hearing a prophecy that is so tempting should it be true, Macbeth becomes consumed with ambition, greed, and treachery, destroying those around him and eventually himself. The prophecy sets the stage but the decisions that Macbeth makes seem to seal his fate, his path, and his destiny. .
             The art of foreseeing the future and predicting ones fate is a gift the Weird Sisters have. By revealing Macbeth's fate to him, these witches not only give him a look into the future, they also enforce where his fate is taking him. "These Weird Sisters saluted [Macbeth] and referred [him] to the coming on of time with "Hail, King that shalt be""(1.5.8-9). Macbeth has never thought of himself as King before hearing the prediction. The prophecies the witches present to him place vivid images inside his head that begin to alter this strong and brave man; he questions it. "This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good"(1.3.143-1145) .
             The witches begin a chain of events that Macbeth is unable is stop. The thought of being King, of having such great power, overshadows any goodness he may have had. The witches are an important part of Macbeth's destiny. The prophecy awakens his ambition and exposes what is going to happen to him in the future. The prophecy makes him think of things that he is uncertain about, evil things, murder, and greed.


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