Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Macbeth -...

Lady Macbeth as a Tool of Fate The play of Macbeth is all about power and greed. It is about ambition overriding inhibitions and the conscience of a good man. We know that most people consider Macbeth to be a good and a brave man at the start of the book, for example King Duncan himself refers to him as â€Å"O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!† He is admired for his skills in battle by everyone. It is hard to say what driving force underlies the events of the story, and it is equally hard to know what emotions or convictions drove the characters to do what they did. Parts of the text give us detail and insight as to the relation and power balance in the marriage of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, this can be interpreted and used to try to†¦show more content†¦After only a few scenes it becomes apparent that it is Lady Macbeth who makes the decisions for them both. She is a very determined person; she also seems very unfeminine and sometimes even evil. She is also highly ambitious. However, although at f irst she appears completely heartless, saying she would have â€Å"dashed the brains outâ€Å" of a child of hers in order to become queen, she rarely actually commits an important crime. Her first sign of weakness is that she would not actually kill Duncan herself, saying that, â€Å"Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done’tâ€Å" In the first few scenes she seems to be as evil as she proclaims she is, but as the play develops, so her conscience catches up with her and she becomes mentally ill. She shares the symptoms of sleeplessness and hallucinations with Macbeth that hark back to when he heard the voice call â€Å"Sleep no more!â€Å" immediately after Duncan’s murder. This seems to be a curse, as does the vision of bloody hands. If indeed it is an actual curse then this would mean some greater force is involved in the story, but it could alternatively be nothing but their consciences and feelings of guilt and remorse. Lady Macbeth had many reasons for wanting her husband to kill the king; mostly she was driven by ambition. She lusted after a royal title and power. â€Å"The goldenShow MoreRelatedThe Power of Fate vs. Free Will in Medea and Macbeth1850 Words   |  8 PagesPower of Fate vs. Free Will in Medea and Macbeth Throughout both Medea and Macbeth, there is a clear and heavy presence of the gods. This begs the question, are the characters in charge of their own destiny, or are their fates already written? Fate is described as â€Å"that  which  is  inevitably  predetermined;  destiny.† It can be said that it is the gods who are in charge of creating the character’s fates. In both Medea and Macbeth, there is a common theme of placing too much trust into fate, rather than Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Macbeth -... The Concept of Fate in Macbeth Literary critics disagree over the amount of leverage which fate exerted on the Macbeths in the Shakespearean drama Macbeth. Fate was quite influential, but it did not impair their free will; they remained free moral agents who ambitiously and voluntarily surrendered themselves to the evil suggestions of fate. Macbeth: If Chance would have me king, why, Chance may crown me without my stir. A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy references Fate in the play to the Witches prophecies: The words of the witches are fatal to the hero only because there is in him something which leaps into light at the sound of them; but they are at the same time the witness of forces which never†¦show more content†¦[. . .] It is this synchronizing of nature and fortune that soothsayers study, and that the witches in Macbeth know something about. We call it fate, which over-simplifies it. (88-89) In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson explains the stand taken by Macbeth in his relationship with fate: He pits himself no merely against the threat of hell but also against the enmity of Fate (as represented in the prophecies of the Weird Sisters): come, Fate, into the list, And champion me to th utterance. He brags to his wife: But let the frame of tings disjoint, both the worlds suffer, Ere we will eat our meal in fear [. . .]. (70-71) The Tragedy of Macbeth opens in a desert place with thunder and lightning and three Witches who are anticipating their fateful meeting with Macbeth, There to meet with Macbeth. They all say together the mysterious and contradictory Fair is foul, and foul is fair. King Duncan learns that brave Macbeth and Banquo are bravely resisting the Norweyan banners and the rebellious Thane of Cawdor. When these forces are vanquished, Duncan bids Ross to greet Macbeth with his new title of Thane of Cawdor. Before this happens, however, Macbeth is greeted by the witches with hail to thee, thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, and thou shalt be king hereafter! When Ross and Angus arrive with news of Duncans rewardShow MoreRelatedMacbeth: Fate vs. Free Will1718 Words   |  7 PagesFate 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 ofRead 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 MoreFate vs Free Will in Sophocles ´ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare ´s Macbeth1487 Words   |  6 PagesFate 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 persons 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 Shakespeares Macbeth, fate is determined by their own choices and freeRead MoreRole of Fate in Tess of the DUrbervilles5058 Words   |  21 Pagesso far as Hardy is concerned, he writes tragedy of fate which has a major role to play. This novel is almost like the Greek tragedy in the classical Greek tragedy in the sense that they wrote play in a way where Aristotle wrote Greek tragedy and other things. He was de aling particularly with plays. But the world view was essentially disastrous in tragedy mainly because in those Greek tragedies, the tragedy arose out of the dictates of fate. So, fate had decreed that it would be like this. And, becauseRead MoreMacbeth Fate Vs Free Will2019 Words   |  9 PagesDestruction of Our Choices 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. However. even though this story seems to be of a pre-destined nature everyone always has the freedom of choice and control over oneself s thoughts and actions. In this story Macbeth chose his fate. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is introducedRead MoreComparison Of Macduff Character In Macbeth1704 Words   |  7 Pagesfunction / is smotherd in surmise† (I,III,138-140). From the beginning of the play, the protagonist Macbeth is drawn into this idea that the only thing that matters is whether or not he is at an advantage and benefitting in any given scenario. This selfish behavior becomes embedded into him and becomes his second nature, in contrast Shakespeare uses Macduff as a foil to the character of Macbeth. Macbeth’s ambition stems from the witches’ prophecies which give him confidence to do as he pleases forRead MoreCan You Truly Ever Escape?2156 Words   |  9 Pageslife of the ancient Greeks, derived from the numerous oracles which were prevalent in ancient Greece as well as from stories which showed the confidence that people of that era had in prophecies.† (Kane) Prophets and prophetesses played a significant role in Greek literature fro m the time of Homer. For instance, the mythological blind prophet Tiresias was an infallible source of information for the Greeks and appears frequently in Greek tragedy. The most memorable of his warnings was in Sophocles’ OedipusRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare and Macbeth8813 Words   |  36 Pageshero was to be pitied in his fallen plight but not necessarily forgiven: Greek tragedy frequently has a bleak outcome. 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ComparisonRead MoreMacbeth Is To Blame For His Tragedy in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay3086 Words   |  13 PagesMacbeth Is To Blame For His Tragedy in Shakespeares Macbeth Macbeth, the play was one of Shakespeares bloody and goriest tragedies. It was based on a true story of the Celtic throne. It is a play about murder, power, ambition, greed and deception. The play is set in bleak Scotland, where King Duncan rules over all. At the start of the play Scotland is at battle with Norway. Macbeth is Thane of Glamis and has emerged from battle as a brave and courageous solider. He is admired by all as a