Introduction
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in Act 1 Scene 3, the witches plant the seed of regicide in Macbeth. In this Act, Banquo and Macbeth meet the witches for the very first time, introducing the theme of fate which is central to the play. The witches tell both Macbeth and Banquo their futures. They do not directly state what each future is. However, they put it in a riddle, stating that Macbeth will be king, but also that Banquo’s sons will be kings too. The Act is critical to the Shakespeare’s work because it is the first instance when Macbeth begins to contemplate killing the king and also the thought of Banquo in mind. The statement by the witches effectively puts Macbeth and Banquo in a collision course, foreshadowing tension between them. To ease Macbeth’s mind, Banquo questions the intention of the witches by telling him “The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence” (Shakespeare 20). Without this scene, the events in the play “Macbeth” by Shakespeare would take a different course. This paper will reveal that the prophecies of the witches demonstrate that the lives and actions of everyone in the play are governed by both fate and free will as the two are intertwined.
The theme of fate and free will is central to the play “Macbeth.” From the moment that the witches tell Banquo and Macbeth their prophecy, the two characters are forced to wander about fate. Some of the important questions that come to the minds of both the audience and the characters is whether fate is real, whether actions by the individual are necessary to make fate come to pass, of whether fate must come true irrespective of the actions of the individual. If he had not heard the prophecy, Macbeth would have no interest in becoming the king or thane of Cawdor (Shakespeare 20). In the play, different characters arrive at different answers to these questions. As fate always is, the final conclusions are ambiguous.
On his part, Macbeth decides to master fate by acting: he kills Duncan (Shakespeare 36). His actions are meant to make fate conform to his wants. However, as it turns out, by trying to master fate this one time, he puts himself in a position where he has to master fate every time. For example, he is forced to struggle against those parts of the prophecies of the witches that do not favor him. In the end, he is so obsessed with mastering his fate that he becomes delusional. He ignores the advice of his friend Banquo that he be cautious about the prophecies of the witches.
However, apart from being destined to be the king, much of the rest of Macbeth’s actions are based on free will. While he is told that he will become king, the prophecy does not outline how he would achieve that position. Hence, while it is his destiny to be king, it is he himself who chooses how to get to the throne. Macbeth chooses to do whatever is necessary to reach the throne including committing very many murder, including those of children. He begins by killing Duncan and has to continue killing to stay on the throne. Fate and free will play a role in the way that Macbeth becomes king. For example, after the death of Duncan, his two sons flee so as not to be suspected of being involved in the crime (Shakespeare 38). As fate would have it, this opens up a new line of succession that allows Macbeth to become king. However, it has to be remembered that it is Macbeth who initiates this chain of events by killing Duncan.
Lastly, the interplay between fate and free will cause the downfall of Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play. Because he believed that the witches were right the first time, Macbeth is inclined to keep believing in the prophecy. The prophecy tells him that he cannot be harmed by any man born of a woman (Shakespeare 158). The prophecy gives him a false sense of security and his free will causes his downfall. He let his guard down, believing that he would remain king until the forest came to his castle. Throughout his reign, he only focuses on Macduff as the only threat to the throne. After killing Macduff, he felt secure regarding his position. From then onwards, Malcolm’s army finds it quite easy to storm the castle and overthrow Macbeth.
Conclusion
Hence, Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” is interplay between fate and free will that dictates the life and actions of the characters from the beginning to the end of the play. As revealed, while the prophecies of the witches signal that Macbeth is destined to be king, his actions to get there are primarily his own. As a result, it has emerged that both fate and free will play critical roles on the way that events unfold in the play. Prompted by the prophecy, Macbeth kills to gain and retain the throne. However, blinded by the prophecy, he fails to spot his vulnerabilities that ultimately cause his downfall.
