...Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is not a play of fate; but instead, it is a tragedy that is a result from the freewill and unruly greed of Macbeth. The witches only make suggestions about Macbeth becoming king in the future; they do not cast spells or have control over Macbeth, which will secure that their predictions come true. However, it is Macbeth’s thoughts that occur after his encounter with the witches that lead him to kill King Duncan and secure his title, which leads to a number of consequences. It is free will, not fate that leads to Macbeth’s madness and destruction. Therefore, through observations of the text, Macbeth is clearly illustrated as a villain who exercises his free will which leads to his own downfall, the witches are not at fault at all. Macbeth’s freewill is portrayed through his actions before and after the murder of King Duncan. There is no proof to show that the weird sisters are valid sources or that they are women that can see the future. The witches simply tell Macbeth and Banquo news that has already been revealed to the public, which any individual with access to the news of Scottish politics or who are associated with the royals. This news convinces Macbeth that the witches might have the ability to predict his future. Although he is a little hesitant to put his complete trust in the minds of the witches, the scene where he meets with them is enough to give Macbeth the feeling that he must do whatever it takes in order to make him King. The...
Words: 1101 - Pages: 5
...In Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in 1606, the text portrays power to be all consuming. This is shown through the themes of freewill vs fate, violence and tyranny and the supernatural vs natural. Macbeth follows Macbeth, who at the beginning is the protagonist, until power consumes his mind, leading him to do evil deeds and turning into the antagonist. The supernatural play a big part in Macbeth since they are the reason in motivating Macbeth’s desire for power. When Macbeth falls upon the witches, they say, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor,” (1.3.50) prophesising his fate as king. This is just the beginning of his desire for power since all the series of events that occur after this are due to his need to seize power....
Words: 602 - Pages: 3
...Don’t be misled by the idea that fate is the reason for the actions that are made in your life. Freewill and the choices you commit play a bigger part in your future rather than destiny. Destiny and fate are concepts based on the belief that there is a fixed natural order to the universe. This is unmistakably demonstrated the 17th century play Macbeth. Shakespeare has most definitely positioned the audience to view Macbeth as a partial victim of fate, through the use of dramatic technique and manipulation of language. He is under the influence of the supernatural forces of the witches. However, Shakespeare also portrays Macbeth as a man of action that freely shapes his own future through his own decisions and actions. This is clearly made evident...
Words: 400 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 1445 - Pages: 6
