Some people take comfort in believing that everything happens for a reason, and that fate will lead them to the desired path. They believe that their life has already been planned out for them, and nothing they do can change that. Yet others place their beliefs in free will, and the idea that their actions determine their future. This is the case for the protagonists in both Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Sophocles’ Oedipus The King. Macbeth was given a prophecy that he would become King of Scotland, yet with his power-hungry nature, took it upon himself to speed up the process. Oedipus, similarly, was given a prophecy which read that he would kill his father and his mother, which his hubris allowed him to disavow and try to prove wrong. Their actions …show more content…
The second set of prophecies Macbeth receives creates the illusion that he is invincible, therefore, Macbeth is confident going into battle, and does not care to receive reports on the upcoming battle between Macduff, saying, “Let them fly all. Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane I cannot taint with fear” (Shakespeare V. iii. 1-3). Though this was part of the prophecy, the witches are smart and catch him on a technicality. As Macduff and his soldiers come marching hiding behind Birnam wood branches, Macbeth realizes he is in danger. This symbolizes his arrogance, and poses the possibility of what would happen if he had listened to the reports and better prepared himself for the war. Macbeth could have easily avoided his downfall if he better prepared himself and acted like he was in danger, rather than just expecting the witches had him protected and that he was safe from all evil. To further prove his own part in his demise , he should have been worried about the first part of the prophecy stating to beware of Macduff. The witches said that for a reason, so he should not dismiss it because there seems to be no way for him to not be woman born. Macbeth says he does not have to fear him though he will kill him anyway, symbolizing the false security the prophecies gave him and therefore the increase in his hubristic attitude. Oedipus’ …show more content…
When Macbeth and Banquo are riding back from the battlefield, they come across witches who provide the two with their own individual prophecies. After Macbeth receives his prophecies, Banquo warns him, “to win us to our harm the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles to betray's in deepest consequence” (Shakespeare I. iii. 125-128). In this, Banquo is warning Macbeth that the witches are most likely only telling part of the truth, with will lead to one’s destruction. This foreshadows Macbeth’s own demise, and Macbeth’s failure to notice Banquo’s wisdom made what Banquo predicted to become true. His words connect to the dominant theme of the play, to not trust appearances. Yet, Macbeth puts all his trust in these witches, and not in his lifelong best friend, who he then later betrays and kills him. The witches make it seem as though Macduff could not hurt Macbeth, but he decides he will kill him and his family to be safe and to seal his fate, which will have the opposite effect. If he listened to the witches to beware of him, instead of provoking him, arguably his demise could have been avoided. Killing Macduff’s family only gave Macduff the motive to kill Macbeth. Macbeth may have been punished by banishment, but this action sealed his fate of being killed by Macduff. Oedipus is warned