Donovan Dicks

2/22/13
English Pd. 6
Free Will or Fate?

Was Macbeths fate a result of his own actions, or just the course of fate? Macbeth, the

tragic play written by William Shakespeare, depicts the dark life of Macbeth. After hearing

predictions from three witches, Macbeth starts on a quest to fulfill his destiny and rise to

power through murder and treason. His so called success does not last long; his treachery is

discovered and he is brought down. This fate, his death, is of his own free will.

When Macbeth first encountered the witches, they told him of his rise to power, hailing

him as the things he shall become. They say to him, All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of

Glamis/All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor/All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king

hereafter! (1.3.51-53). Macbeth already was Thane, a high level noble, in Glamis. The witches

predicted he would be promoted to Thane of Cawdor, and become king after. They were the

starting forces; the witches planted the ideas that would grow in his mind and consume him.

They made Macbeth question the possibilities. One prediction was already true, and the second

came true shortly after, so he began to think the rest would follow. His wife saw what was

happening, thought the same as her husband, and took the opportunity. Macbeth himself was too

unsure to take the action that would put him on the throne: murder. He was still debating whether

it was right, but his wife had already decided. So, she bullied him into it. If Macbeth had a

stronger will, he could have resisted her. He knew murder was wrong, and especially when the

victim is his king who also previously promoted him. He could have stopped it all, and changed

the course of his life. Instead, he gave in to his wife and thus started his dark future. This single

murder would change his state of mind, and after his later decisions. His next murderous deed

requires him to betray his friend, Banquo, who is to be father to a line of kings after Macbeth.
Macbeth is aware of this; since he heard the witches predict it, saying to Banquo Thou shalt get

kings, though thou be none (1.3.70). After usurping the throne, his treason plagued him with

guilt and greed, so he wanted to protect his position. The only solution was to kill Banquo and

his son to prevent losing the throne. This, however, is Macbeths decision and his alone. Fueled

by greed, without telling anyone, he hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son. Banquo is killed,

but his son escapes, and Macbeth lives on with fears and doubts. He again makes another

decision own his own to have the lord Macduff and his family killed. Macduff is out, attempting

to get forces to retake the throne, when the murderers arrive. His family is killed, and Macbeths

fears are settled for the time. It was all of his own doing, he could have stayed in his position and

lived a happy life. Instead, his curiosity, later turned to guilt, greed, and fear, overcame him and

led him to destroy his life and end in his demise. All of this was a result of Macbeths own free

will.

Some might say Macbeths outcome was the inevitable course of fate, that no matter what

he did, he still would have died in the end. This cant be, seeing how the only event that did not

occur from his own doing was the encounter with the witches. The witches were only responsible

for the suggestion of rising to power, and did not push Macbeth into taking action. There was

pure pressure from other sources; however he could have easily held his ground and avoided

committing the murders. In reality, after seeing the witches for the first time, every action he

took was his choice. There were multiple chances where Macbeth could have changed his fate

had he decided to do so, but peer pressure put him down and later greed took him over. His

ending was from his own choices, and not a predestined fate.

Macbeth made many bad decisions and they all led to his death. His actions brought him

the royalty and power the witches had seen, but they also brought the outrage of his people.
Eventually, people took action against the treasonous Macbeth, and ended his life, all of his own

doing.