The Danger of Fate
Since the beginning of time, men have tried to know there fate and their purpose in this world. By creating omnipotent forces, they were able to explain that everything was predestined, and that it was “God’s will” or “the way the world wanted it”. Not everyone believes this and a huge dilemma between fate and will exists, as we see in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Macbeth is a Scottish lord who is given many prophecies by three witches, the first time he is told he will be thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland. When Macbeth is given the title of thane of Cawdor he starts to believe that the witches’ predictions might be true. As a result he believes that the possibility of being king exists and this idea changes the way
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There are a lot of people that believe in fate, and ever since we are kids we are told that life events serve as a way to grow and learn. It would be logical to think that the majority of people who believe in fate are religious, perhaps you believe in predestination or in God’s will. The truth is that a lot of atheists do as well; the reason being, as explained in an article of the New York Times, “The view that life events happen for a reason and that there is an underlying order to life that determines how events turn out” (Banerjee). Ultimately, fate is believed by many, regardless if they believe in a higher agent or not. Obviously there are those that believe that the world follows no sequence or no structure and center themselves on how unfair and unbalanced the world is. There are some horrible events in Macbeth that might support that, since the corruption of one man destroys the “balance” of the world, and figure of mystical powers are sent to repair this. I would say that Macbeth believes in fate more and more throughout the story, until his belief in fate becomes paranoia and drives him insane.
The idea of an action being will or fate in Macbeth creates a paradox. If Macbeth was supposed to be king would it have happened if he did nothing? Or maybe that’s not the way the prophecies work, maybe the prophecies predicted him killing the king. In the first act after hearing what
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Most of the big events of this play are influenced by Macbeth’s knowledge of the prophecies and whether these are true or not, they end up affecting the way he makes decisions. The previous example, where Macbeth has horrible visions, clearly shows how knowing the prophecy creates horrible images in Macbeth’s mind, but there are many other examples. For instance in act III Macbeth decides to kill his friend Banquo and his son because a prophecy said his children would be kings. Because of Macbeth knowing the prophecy he takes harsh action. Another example we see is in the second meeting with the witches, where apparitions speak to Macbeth. These say that no man born of a woman shall harm him, that only when the Birnam forest rises to his kingdom he will be vanquished, and one tells him to be weary of Macduff; resulting in a surge of over confidence that leads Macbeth to oversee what the phrases mean, but also to leads him to be reckless in his decision making because he loses all fear, resulting in his demise. Macbeth is quick to take action after hearing out the witches and says, “Time, thou anticipat’st my dread exploits./ The flighty purpose never is o’ertook/ Unless the deed go with it. From this moment/The very firstlings of my heart shall be/ The very firstlings of my hand” (4.1.145-149). There are still some examples of free will and being able
Fate and prediction have played a big part of Macbeth and has persuaded him to become evil and the “Brave” Macbeth had died out as soon as he meets the witches’ and they tell him that his fate is to become the thane of Cawdor and soon become king; “All hail, Macbeth hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!” “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”. Macbeth does not know yet that the Thane of Cawdor had betrayed the king and went against him also he is being stripped of his Thaneship and is being executed, so he was surprised when the witches’ said that. Macbeth at first did not believe in his fate but when he gets the rob to be Thane of Cawdor he starts to believe his fate and then his mind skips to becoming king and killing Duncan this shows
Fate vs Free Will is one of the most oft used literary techniques in writing. It is never more evident than in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The major theme of the story Macbeth is whether or not the story is fueled by the free will of Macbeth, or by his fate. Are the events in Macbeth a result of his mentality and outlook on life, or were they going to happen no matter what? Almost every major event that takes place can be traced back to this question. It can be viewed in different ways, and most people have their own opinions. Dissecting this question is a part of what makes teaching Macbeth still have so much value to this day. But there is a clear answer to this question upon further dissection. The story of Macbeth is fueled by his free
Throughout life, many of us will find ourselves in some of the worst situations that leave us wondering who’s to blame. The truth is that the misfortunes that befall us are due to our own actions and sometimes due to fate or bad luck. Fate is one person's destiny and it can not be understood by simple mortals but a greater power beyond human comprehension. Fate is so powerful that it can control a person's outcome on life before it happens. Many people tend to become victims of fate in which they catch a glimpse of what their future is going to look like, but do not totally take hold of the outcome. Macbeth can not fully realize the possible outcome of his fate because he is human, and therefore is a victim to his power driven
Destiny "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 become king, the path he chose to take to achieve his aspiration of obtaining the throne was of his own free
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there is a question as to whether or not Macbeth is driven by fate or 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 journeyed to his murderous doom through his own free choice.
Fate is one person's destiny, it cannot be understood by mere mortals but a greater power beyond human comprehension. Fate is so powerful that it controls a person's outcome on life before it happens. Many people become victims of fate in which they catch a glimpse of what their future is going to look like, but do not totally grasp the outcome. Macbeth cannot fully comprehend the possible outcome of his fate because he is mortal, and therefore is a victim to his power driven quest and his ultimate fate. Many have been said to agree with this statement. For example, as stated in Shakespeare A to Z, "The Witches are an enactment of the irrational. The supernatural world if terrifying because it is beyond human control, and in the play it is
Throughout the play Macbeth by Shakespeare the characters battle with a constant struggle between what is fate and what is their own free will. Macbeth, a war hero in the eyes of his own countrymen, is told two prophecies that change everything. He believed everything the three witches told him and made decisions accordingly, eventually causing his own demise in the process. Once Macbeth learns about his supposed fate, all of his decisions reflect the prophecies, had he chosen to live his life the way it was and forget the prophecies all together he would have been able to avoid the situation he ended up in.
Throughout William Shakespeare's famous tragic play, Macbeth, Macbeth is torn between letting fate take it's course, or using free will to help speed up the prophecy. In this tragic play, Macbeth is presented w/ two paths to take to act upon. He has th option to listen to the witches prophecy & let fate lead him to his destiny or to use his own free will & actions get where he is destined to be. After Macbeth hears the prophecy, he chooses free will when it comes to fate, the murders, and the guilt.
In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth’s destiny is determined by the choices he makes. The first hint to the reader of Macbeth’s choices comes as a warning from Banquo to Macbeth about believing the witches, or Weird Sisters. Once Macbeth starts to believe the witches, this belief facilitates his decisions to take certain actions. Macbeth’s choice to believe the witches also gives them control over him, which further illustrates how Macbeth’s destiny is fated by his choice to believe them. Throughout the play Macbeth has opportunities to stop believing in the witches, thereby choosing actions that might avoid a harmful fate. It is Macbeth’s free choice to believe the witches or not, and it is this
Having a belief in fate can cause submission to something you do not believe you can control. After receiving the prophecy from the Wyrd Sisters, Macbeth and Banquo are captivated by the thought of either becoming king or having their sons become kings. Nowhere in the prophecy does it say how it will be fulfilled, but Lady Macbeth is captivated by thought of ruling, acts on the prophesy and conceives a plan to kill King Duncan. The prophecy did not say that she would do this, but she used her free will to act on her belief that fate controls her life.
Fate plays the role of suggestion, but with every prophecy and “pre-determined” event, there is a subsequent set of actions and choices by the persons involved to ultimately arrive at the destination. The forecast of kingship spurred Macbeth to action, which caused him to fulfill, through his own free will, though influenced by the witches’ suggestions of a possible kingship, his own predictions. The witches themselves possess no real power to ensure that their predictions come to pass. Macbeth also replies later: "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, / Without my stir" (I.iii. 144). This seems to indicate that he doesn't regard the witches as the voice of fate, but of chance. He believes he has choice in the matter. The witches tempted him, but it was his own ambition that led him to commit the crime. Macbeth eventually decides that "chance" needs some help, and so he murders Duncan.
Macbeth made a lot of decisions throughout the play. “On the other hand, most people believe that they are free to choose what to do, from the simplest to the more complex: should I drink coffee with sugar or sweetener? Do I put some money in the savings or do I spend it all?” (Gleiser). Individuals get to chose their own future. One gets to choose their actions and decisions in life. Every decision one makes, affects what will happen. “Oh, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them”(II. Iii. 84-85). Macbeth made the decision to murder and lie. He made this decision on his own. Macbeth already had honor and glory. He was granted the Thane Of Cawdor, but his decisions were irrational. Macbeth had the power to not murder and lie. He is responsible for his own demise. Obviously, Macbeth’s decisions show how free will led to his
Firstly, In Macbeth, William Shakespeare shows that destiny is what controls our lives not ourself. In the text, Macbeth and Banquo are going to the King when they run into the witches. The text states, “...First Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! Second Witch: all hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (Shakespeare 1.3.54-56). In the text, Macbeth is told by the witches what his destiny is, which is being the King. By the end of the
Many people believe in ‘Fate’, and argue over the role of ‘Fate’ in everyday life. Does Fate control us, or are we masters of our own fate? Many people have wondered over this question for decades, centuries even. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare tries to shed a light on the answer. Are Macbeth’s actions predetermined, or are they his own choice?
"All hail, Macbeth Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth Hail to thee, thou shall be King hereafter!" (1.3.49). The witches in in act I called Macbeth Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth was already Thane of Glamis and he had given the position of Thane of Cawdor but he didn’t know about it. Also the three sisters told Macbeth that we would be king. After hearing this prediction his mind got totally tempted to kill the king. His interpretation of what the witches said was that he needed to kill the king so he could become king. This story has both fate and free will. This is more than clear because as I just mentioned the prophecy of the witches telling Macbeth he will become the king of Scotland but they didn’t tell him how was he going to become king. He just interpreted the prophecy, as he wanted. Fate has a very important role in the story. Fate also plays a role in the death of Macbeth. The witches told Macbeth that he must look out for MacDuff. Also the witches told him that any man who was born of a woman could not harm him. But he didn’t knew that MacDuff was born by caesarean. This provided Macbeth a made-up awareness of confidence and made him contemplate that no man could ever damage