Free Will In Macbeth

However, as the witches plant the vision in Macbeth’s mind and suggest he would be successful in his pursuit of the throne, he is manipulated to follow a path for which he was not previously destined to go down. Hecate, the higher power the witches answer to, further demonstrates that the witches were deliberately manipulating Macbeth in order to cause his downfall. “As, by the strength of their illusion, shall draw him on to his confusion: /He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear /His hopes ‘bove wisdom, grace, and fear:” (III.v.28-31) In this quotation, Hecate is instructing the witches to confuse Macbeth and give him a false sense of confidence by using three apparitions or illusions to trick him. This illustrates that the witches, who are able to see into the future, are in fact abusing the trust Macbeth has in them to further lead to his downfall. Instead of allowing the future to unfold as foreseen, they are directly interfering and collectively planning how best to achieve Macbeth’s tragic end. When Macbeth encounters the witches for the final time seeking answers, they choose to show him visions set to mislead and give false confidence in his future.

The witches manipulate Macbeth into becoming a murdering, power-hungry evil being, by telling him, “someday you’ll be king.” “I'll drain him dry as hay. Sleep shall neither night nor day Hang upon his penthouse lid. He shall live a man forbid. Weary sev'n nights, nine times nine, Shall he dwindle, peak, and pine.” (I,i) The witches use the two other prophecies to get in the mind of Macbeth. They say that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, and Banquo will be the father of future generations of kings. Though his bark cannot be lost, Yet it shall be tempest-tossed.They give Macbeth a false sense of security with the visions they perceive. These influential women are the ones that instill the idea of murdering the king. Macbeth lets greed get the best of him. The witches sway Macbeth into killing Duncan for the throne. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” (I,i) The Witches intend to turn Macbeth from his good ways, into something evil. As the only character that understands their cruelty, the witches want Macbeth dead. The witches give Macbeth the temptation to kill the king by telling him their prophecies. In the end,

   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

At this point in the novel Macbeth is using the witches as a guideline to his life. The apparition that he cannot be harmed by anyone born of woman creates a false sense of security within himself. Even at this point, Macbeth still has a choice of whether or not to believe the witches. The weird sisters have not put any spell on him; they have just filled his greedy mind with a sense of security and power for kingship.

In many stories fate is said to determine the paths that people lead in their lives. However, even though some events can seem like fate to the people experiencing them, these people always made their own decisions that led to them. Although some of the events in the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare may lead readers to believe that fate determined many of Macbeth’s actions, the truth is that Macbeth made all of the decisions in the story through his own free will.

The witches prophecies and Lady Macbeth’s influence intensifies his ambition and drives Macbeth to obtain and maintain his title of Scotland by whatever means, even murdering his best friend, Banquo. “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, ...no son of mine succeeding. If’t be so, for Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; For them the gracious Duncan I have murder’d; ...To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! (Act III. sc.I) At this point Macbeth’s passion becomes more and more extreme to the point where no one stands in his way. His greed, violence, and hunger for power drastically declines his

Throughout the story of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth acts in a much despised manner: he becomes a murderer and later, when king of Scotland, a tyrant. Many who have read or seen the play are left wondering how a man’s whole approach to life can change; how Macbeth turned from the hero whom all adored, to the tyrant who was hated and ended up a lone man, fighting for his life.

Throughout the play “Macbeth” Shakespeare uses multiple examples of strong diction, paradox, metaphors, and imagery to demonstrate the theme that fate is inevitable. These examples also help emphasize that the witches are in control of Macbeth's severe and hostile actions throughout the tragic play. Without the witches prophecies the idea of murder would have never crossed Macbeth’s mind. After the witches informed Macbeth that he would soon become king he was willed to do anything to make sure this bizarre prophecy would come true.

How far might a person go to achieve his destiny? In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Macbeth uses self-will to determine how he will reach his fate as the next King of Scotland. While Macbeth seems harmless and a dedicated soldier at the beginning, three witches soon change his character and emotions as he kills many people in attempt to become king. Macbeth takes charge of his own fate shared by the three witches through his self-will and actions resulting in losing his insanity.

Free-will and fate often work hand in hand. However, when people take fate into their own hands, they are only using their free-will to manipulate their fate as see fit. In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, after Macbeth is told his fate, he manipulates it in order to get what he really want; to be king. All the events that unfold in Macbeth are the result of free-will not fate.

The gruesome and supernatural play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, captures the audience's attention in the very first scene and does not let it go. Through countless murders and arguably psychotic main characters the play conveys a mystifying message which has drawn people to it for centuries. The play, which includes mythical aspects such as prophecies, fate, and the three witches, details the antagonist Macbeth's actions and the prophecies given to him. The idea of fate and it’s ability to control the whole plot of the play is brought into question but free will can also be argued as a controlling factor of the characters. Throughout the play, the idea of fate versus free will is a prominent theme; however, ultimately Macbeth controls his own actions and little fate is involved in his downfall.

Everything changed when Macbeth decided to commit his first murder against Duncan. Malcolm and Donalbain decided to flee Scotland and go to different countries. Although they were not forced by anyone to leave the country, leaving was their free will: What should be spoken here, Where our fate, Hid in an auger-hole, may rush and seize us? Let’s away.

Although Macbeth is initially portrayed as a “brave” (1.2.16) and “worthy gentleman” (1.2.24), his true character is revealed when he encounters three supernatural witches upon a heath. These witches foretell of Macbeth becoming the “king hereafter” (1.3.50), and his stunned reaction show that these seeds of temptation were already growing in his mind. This prophecy intensifies Macbeth’s avarice for the wealth and power that comes with being king, and sparks the beginnings of his first

The definition of responsibility is being accountable for something within one’s control, thus people are “the designer of my [their] own catastrophy” - Unknown. Similarly in Macbeth, the supernatural is held accountable for Macbeth’s actions, despite the fact that Macbeth is responsible for what he has done. This is because people have the free will to make their own choices, and the actions chosen are driven by their own desires. Accordingly, the supernatural should not be blamed for the actions of others, as people are responsible for their own fate.

Macbeth once took fate in his hands once again when he had Banquo dealt with. After hearing the witches’ prophecy that Banquo would father kings, Macbeth had sent murderers for Banquo and his son, Fleance, to be killed. (3. 1.) Nevertheless, Macbeth had greeted the witches for a second time. This time around, Macbeth is notified of how his downfall will take place; the witches give three warnings of how Macbeth’s demise will take its course. It would have been better if Macbeth had not been told of the prophecies, for it is because of them that had caused much tragedy and development in Macbeth’s