Macbeth Fate vs. Free Will - 1718 Words

Fate vs. Free Will 11th of January 2013 Throughout the ages, it has been believed that fate has the power to forge one’s destiny. By some uncontrollable force, the outcome of a person’s choices is controlled by the way in which they are destined to occur. On the other hand though, some believe these choices can defy fate and that fate only manipulates ones mind into choosing their own path. One question that seemed to pop into my head through out this play was whether individuals were victims of fate or their I own choices, or if each aspect plays a significant part in determining their destiny. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare plays around with the idea of fate, placing the destiny of Macbeth before him, yet allowing his own†¦show more content†¦Yet after his encounter with the witches, his mind was going back and forth trying to figure out how he should act upon the prophecy of becoming king! It was by then that the idea of fate had been planted into his head, and with such good title to co me with it, why wouldn’t he want to believe his ‘fate’? Something that I found very interesting about the witches was that looking closely at line 24-25 when one of the witches says, Though his bark cannot be lost, yet it shall be tempest-tossed. From what I seemed to understand, these lines seemed to really show the limitations to the witches’ powers, because they were basically saying that they could only make life rough for the clueless captain, but they could not kill him. I think that this is really important to all the people who thought that the witches had ‘written out’ Macbeth’s fate because in the same way as the previous stated scene they can tempt Macbeth with predictions about his future, but they cannot make him choose evil. Meaning that in this scene, one of the conflicts is obviously fate vs. free will! All the witches really did was find a way of stirring up evil, by tempting Macbeth into choosing to opt for evil instea d of good. â€Å"If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir.† (Act 1. Scene iii. Line 10). Here, Macbeth seems content to leave his future to chance. If chance will haveShow MoreRelatedMacbeth: Fate vs Free Will Essay1208 Words   |  5 PagesFate 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 mostRead MoreFate Vs Free Will In Shakespeares Macbeth1260 Words   |  6 PagesRegarding â€Å"real world† scenarios, the â€Å"fate vs. free will† debate has long been disputed, but humanity has ne ver come to a verdict on whether human actions are determined by fate or free will. Shakespeare’s Macbeth involves aspects like equivocation and supernatural forces to build on this idea and its pertinence to Macbeth’s tragic downfall. Macbeth is presented with three central prophecies from the witches concerning his seemingly royal destiny at the beginning of the play and again near theRead MoreMacbeth Fate Vs Free Will2019 Words   |  9 PagesChoices The Tragedy of Macbeth William Shakespeare s haunting and ominous play The Tragedy of Macbeth offers many topics of discussion and debate about human nature such as fate versus free will. This plays a rather large role in the story. 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While Macbeth is given options a nd opportunities by fate throughout the play, it is his own decisions and free will thatRead More Fate vs. Freedom Essay1046 Words   |  5 Pages Fate may state what will be in ones life however, how that destiny comes about is a matter of mans own choice. In other words, incidents dont occur because our destinies are written. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare expertly uses the theme of fate vs. free will and raises the pre-eminent question of which holds power over the characters. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, fate is not the cause of his downfall, his own desires and choices prove to be the deciding factor. There are several examples ofRead MoreEssay on Macbeth vs. Satan695 Words   |  3 PagesMacbeth vs. Satan How can two authors write stories almost half a century apart where the characters have comparable qualities? William Shakespeare and John Milton wrote a play and a poem, respectively, where two characters share qualities. These characters are Macbeth from Macbeth and Satan from Paradise Lost. Despite the similarities between the characters of Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost, which include their strong will, pride, and insatiable greed, theyRead MoreAnalysis of the Actions of Macbeth and Doctor Faustus Based on Free Will and Fate1677 Words   |  7 Pageswhether the actions of Macbeth and Doctor Faustus in Shakespeare’s and Marlowe’s plays come from the characters themselves or whether they were following a predetermined fate. In the play The Tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, each character’s destiny, or fate, seems to be predetermined by the supernatural and unpreventable by any actions meant to stop it from occurring. The concept of fate is a large component in many Aristotelian Tragedies, such as Macbeth. However, in the tragedy