Macbeth - Chance v Fate

Macbeth


It wasn’t fate that guided Macbeth’s course, rather it was his own free will and external influences that did so. The witches manipulation of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s influence, Macbeth’s active participation in fulfilling the prophecies and conflicting thoughts, are all factors that show that it was his own free will which determined his future. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth details the rise and gradual fall of a Scottish General, Macbeth. In the opening scenes, Macbeth is approached by three witches who propehcise that he’d become King of Scotland. Knowing the burden of ascension, Macbeth decides to kill the king. One of the most common questions asked about the tragedy of Macbeth is whether it was Macbeth’s fate or his own free will that lead to his murder of King Duncan and his eventual downfall.

Many people consider that because the witches’ predictions came true, it was Macbeth’s destiny to kill Duncan and become King. However, the witches werenâ€...