Fate In Macbeth And Oedipus The King

Fate can be defined as an event beyond a person’s control while free will can be defined as power without the constraint of fate. Shakespeare has used the reoccurring theme of fate verse free will in his works and Macbeth is a very conflicting example. In the play “Macbeth” Shakespeare shows how Macbeth blurs the line of fate and free will and his ability to confuse them.

As we read Macbeth, I realized that there are many similarities with Oedipus Rex. Macbeth and Oedipus are both the main lead and the tragic heroes. The plot of both plays are about gaining control, using power, and taking charge for one’s actions. Both Oedipus Rex and Macbeth are disasters. Sophocles and Shakespeare wrote these plays to teach a simple lesson for average people. Oedipus and Macbeth are both men that have a lot of power but are not capable of keeping it. Both experienced many contradictory choices that formed their character traits, such as man versus nature, man versus action, and man versus person. Oedipus and Macbeth are rulers who fell in their own burdens because of what they lack. Initially, Oedipus and Macbeth became kings

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, changes happen. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a well liked and good man of Scotland, who turns into an evil, cold hearted, murderer by the end. His rewards and punishments could have been predetermined by fate, but the actions he took to get to get those rewards and punishments were determined by Macbeth’s free will. In Macbeth, he attempts to control the future and hide the past by listening to other people and committing multiple murders of innocent people.

Fate has sundry meanings. One of the meanings of fate: power that predetermines events. Destiny’s definition suggests that events will occur and do not change. Whatever unravels in life cannot change by mankind. The statement has undivulged meanings; fate has the opportunity to change if the person wants events to end differently. However, wrong decisions will only seal fate. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, The fate becomes confirmed through Lady Macbeth wanting more power, Macbeth’s inner conflict, and the three witches tricking Macbeth and leading him to his demise.

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

Fate is defined as the development of events beyond a person’s control. In “Oedipus the King,” Sophocles, tells us about a tragic hero (Oedipus) in which his life is predetermined by fate, because he is deprived of free will. The first act of fate on Oedipus was him being saved by a shepherd when his parents (Queen Jocasta and King Laius) left him in the mountains to die, he then met and killed his father without knowing who he was, and last, he married Queen Jocasta, later realizing that she was his mother. Every action that Oedipus took to prevent his fate, would soon be the ultimate downfall, not only for himself, but for his family and the people of Thebes.

Sophocles states that “Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.” Fate derives from a Latin word, fatum, meaning that one’s future is predetermined. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles unfolds the misfortune of a noble king who searches for knowledge. Evidently, Greek heroes like Oedipus are destined to rule, but are also bound to fall, therefore, he cannot alter his own fate. This tragic play proves that the power of fate is indeed stronger than one’s free will. Despite his attempts to fight his destiny, Oedipus can never outrun his fate. Regardless of his parents’ desperation to evade the predicted outcome, fate guides his journey for knowledge, leading to his destruction.

Every human being decides their own fate. Even though the Weïrd Sisters predict Macbeth’s fate, they are not the ones who make it come true. Macbeth chooses to make his predicted fate reality. By doing this, he inflicts pain and suffering on those around him. Macbeth’s naive nature leads to his death because he thinks of the prophecies as a literal statement instead of a suggestion.

Fate, a belief that has been passed down from generation to generation, ever since the creation of religion, and still remains strong today. Even the greatest playwright of all time used the concept of fate in his plays. His name is William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote many plays in his time, such as MacBeth, in which his use of the concept of fate is most prevalent. The entire play was made around the idea of characters knowing their own fate, and acting upon it, but, we believe that the characters in MacBeth, and MacBeth himself, have nobody but themselves to blame for their own fate, and could have easily at any time decided not to walk the path they chose for themselves.

Are all events predetermined? Does everyone have a prophetic destiny that they must fulfill? If so, who determines their fate? Who—or what—binds them to their fixed ending? Is there really no way to resist? Is fatalism—the theory that all events are preset and inevitable—true? And if it is—is there ever such a thing as free will?

Fate and free will are two topics that are often questionable because they go hand in hand. Fate is a belief that a certain event is said to happen, then that person's choice and free will lead them to what has been predicted as inevitable. Knowing whether something is fate’s fault or the fault of the person who’s going to enact the said action, is one question that has never been fully answered. In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare's Macbeth, fate is determined by their own choices and free will, the character Macbeth knows of what lies ahead of him, making him alter the present to create his idealistic future, however instead he lives a life of ruins. As for Oedipus his entire actions are based on one prophecy he desperately

Fate is not left to chance because everything happens for a reason. Forcing the hand of fate carries significant and tragic consequences. The plays of, “Macbeth”, by Shakespeare and “Oedipus”, by Sophocles share a common theme - fate. Both main characters, Macbeth and Oedipus, attempt to outwit fate.

Throughout Oedipus The King, Oedipus embarks on a journey to realize that he is the murderer of his father, Laius, and husband to his mother, Jocasta, making him a victim of what seems to be an inevitable fate. What makes this more tragic is that Oedipus, a seemingly good leader, tries to avoid his fate, but instead keeps inviting it over. Violating the word of gods and doing things in excess shows Oedipus’ pride that leads to his hubris. Because of his hubris, Oedipus brings his fate upon himself. In this way, fate is connected to the traits of Oedipus, known as hamartia, instead of it being a divine thing. Oedipus can’t escape his fate because it is a part of him; no matter where he goes and what he tries to do, it will always be there. Fate seems beyond anyone’s control and more of the will of gods, but Oedipus’ fate is found within his personality. Moreover, Oedipus’ traits are not something that he can control. He did not choose to let his ego take control and ultimately determine the course of his life. This means that it was inherited by the choices others made, or just by luck. Basically, fate determines Oedipus’ hubris and his hubris leads to hamartia, an element of fate. This connection between his hubris and hamartia shows that what can make him a good leader goes downfall when it becomes excessive. This is what Oedipus is blind to and does not realize. His pride that comes to identify him and makes him a hero to everyone becomes too much and is the same thing that leads to his downfall.

Macbeth also is characterized as a victim of fate by being a transgressor of the great chain of being. The great chain of being was the hierarchal system of the 17th century. The king was at the top of the hierarchy and was representative of God on earth. In contrast, peasants were at the bottom end of this system. The Elizabethan audience believed that to break this natural order was to invite disorder and chaos to the world.

In Oedipus king wrote by the dramatist and philosopher Sophocles, Oedipus is the only responsible of his destiny. Oedipus was the one who held his fate and destiny in his hands. Because of his actions that he made, the curse that he swore and the prophecy about him, he had to be punished for his actions and sins.