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Macbeth - Choice and Fate

            Is it fate or free will that seals Macbeth fate in the play Macbeth? Most people think that because Duncan was predicated to become king by the three witches that he was destined to kill Duncan. Nonetheless, the predictions by the three witches, Lady Macbeth's manipulation, and his ambition and desire to be king guide his circumstances which bring about his own destruction.
             The prediction inspire the thoughts which are sparked by his own ambition to be king. The first predication is when we see the witches greet Macbeth by Thane of Cawdor (a title he has not been awarded) and King of Scotland. Once he is awarded the title The Thane of Cawdor; he realizes that the witch's predictions are coming true. Macbeth says that he has no desire to kill Duncan ("I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent," [1.7.25-26]). He sees that the prophecies mean that there is no necessity for him to do anything in order to become king; when he says "If Chance will have me King, why, Chance may crown me, without my stir" just after the meeting with the Witches [1.3.143-44] (O'Rourke, NP). He then begins to think about killing the current King Duncan and taking over his throne. But other external influences guide in Macbeth's chosen fate. Macbeth actively participates in fulfilling the prophecy by having conflicting thoughts and allowing his wife to manipulate him into killing the King Duncan. One question that is most common in the tragedy of Macbeth is whether free will or fate caused Macbeth's downfall.
             The witch's second predications tell Macbeth to beware of Macduff and state that no one born from a woman will be able to harm him. I think this gives Macbeth a false sense of security that Macduff is no threat to him. But, he actual is because he was born by cesarean section and not by natural childbirth. Of course in the play Macduff does kill Macbeth but this too is not fate. This choice only comes after Macbeth chooses to take the crown and Macduff chooses to avenge the king's murder.


Essays Related to Macbeth - Choice and Fate

1. Fate vs. Free Will

... 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 journeys to his murderous doom through his own free choice. In Act I, the three witches visit Macbeth and Banquo on the heath. The witches make ... three predictions; Macbeth will be the Thane of Cawdor, he will become ... King, and Banquo's sons will become king but not Banquo. Even ... ...

  • Word Count: 737
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Is Macbeth Guilty

... His inner conflict has reached its highest point, kill Duncan and become King or walk away and continue being a "valiant cousin" and the Thane of Cawdor and Glamis. When Duncan awakes MACBETH has no choice but to kill Duncan or to face execution for betrayal. MACBETH's mind and emotions is both complex and immediate, and its dramatic effect is shown through the use of soliloquy's ... between good and evil; heroes and villains; loyalty and treachery; and ambition and morality. In the story, Macbeth is ultimately responsible for the actions that lead to his fate. Although the witches" pr...

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3. Fate of Macbeth

... his own prophecy by killing the previous king, Duncan. This may have been the beginning of the end for Macbeth. If one solely believes in the ideals of fate, they may see that this may have been Macbeth's only choice, and perhaps the choice was never his: he may have been acting upon what was already planned, therefore the situation was out of his control. Upon ... reaching that conclusion, Macbeth's attempt to disregard the prophecy of Banquo and have him killed may also be seen as pre-destined ... warned of Macduff, he is oblivious to the fact that he will die by the very man. A pawn...

  • Word Count: 426
  • Approx Pages: 2
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4. To What Extent Do You Think Macbeth Acted According to His o

... chance will have me king, why, chance my crown me, without my stir". The other option was to do what Macbeth chose to do eventually, and to take fate into his own hands and make the predictions happen. Macbeth decided to leave it to fate first, then changed his mind, to kill Duncan. The fact he changed his mind is the first example of how his ... know it - answer me". This shows he places much faith in the witches, which is his choice, therefore their words are not beyond his control. Lady Macbeth's reaction to the news of the witches, which she received in a letter, was out with Macbet...

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5. MACBETH

... not murder Duncan, describing his loyalty and appreciation for the king. Lady Macbeth bluntly states that Duncan must be murdered and tells Macbeth that the murder is a test of his manhood, leaving Macbeth no choice but to save his dignity by committing the murder. Had Lady Macbeth agreed with Macbeth's refusal to kill Duncan, Macbeth would not have gone through with it, allowing fate to take its course. On the ... topic of fate, a second inquiry arises. Did Macbeth have to take any actions in ... in order to prevent Banquo's kin from ever taking procession of the throne. The inability...

  • Word Count: 979
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6. Macbeth's Free Will

... force such as fate which has already decided every event in that person's life such as the time of death, but others are antithetical and may argue that a person's life is determined by each individual choice the person makes. Some people take the in-between route and believe that lives are sketched out, but can be slightly altered with each choice. William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" is a tragic ... play that details the rise and fall of King Macbeth of a once placid Scotland, and the momentum for the play's dark progression, along with the source of Macbeth's status as a tragic figure, is...

  • Word Count: 1526
  • Approx Pages: 6
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7. Macbeth Essay on Choices

... , Duncan. His decision to commit the murder is what opens up every other choice that Macbeth must face throughout the entire play. After the murdering Duncan, Macbeth's choices fold one after another. At first Macbeth treats each one with extreme caution, care, and time and thoroughly ways out and acts out carefully his decision. Macbeth even goes as far as to consulting the witches for advice, by which ... act on. It is the result of all these decisions that leads Macbeth to his ultimate fate, to be murdered by Macduff. Another main character of "Macbeth" that is forced to make a numero...

  • Word Count: 737
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8. Fate VS. Freewill in Macbeth

... is doing is suppose to happen. When he is about to kill King Duncan a dagger is there and he says it must be fate. The witches" predictions greatly influence Macbeth. Even though these predictions influence him, Macbeth des everything by his own freewill. Take this quote for example: Macbeth. Is this dagger, which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch ... are not their destinies and he did not let them control his life. Even when the predictions were coming true he says: Banquo. May they [the witches] not be my oracles, (III,i,9). Banquo is saying that he will ...

  • Word Count: 667
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9. Macbeth

... "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...

  • Word Count: 724
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

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