Preview

Examples Of Free Will In Macbeth

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
639 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Examples Of Free Will In Macbeth
When knowing the fate of life, and acting to fulfill it, is it still fate or has it turned into free will? This question comes into effect when examining the life of Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The witches tell Macbeth that he will later become king and he acts towards fulfilling this prophecy. He was told his fate and he made decisions that led him to become king by his own choice. Macbeth was using free will when he murdered Duncan because it was his choice to kill the king and his planning and execution that ended up making him king.
When Macbeth and Lady Macbeth planned to kill the current king, Duncan, to help Macbeth become the king, like the witches prophesied, they were acting out of free will. Free will as defined by
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examples Of Foreshadowing In Macbeth
    • 271 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Examples Of Foreshadowing In Macbeth

    One of the first foreshadowing in this story is when the first thane of Cawdor betrays King Duncan which than foreshadows Macbeth’s treachery. But this is not the only foreshadowing in this story. The one who do the most foreshadowing is the trio of witches. The three witches who tell prophecies in the story say “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” which means things aren't always what they seem.…

    • 271 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examples Of Manipulation In Macbeth
    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Examples Of Manipulation In Macbeth

    “Macbeth” a text written by William Shakespeare set in 11th century that follows a Scottish thane and his rise to the throne as a result of many cases of manipulation.According to the natural order which was the law of the times a king was chosen by god and the title should not be allowed to be obtained by want for it.The first instance of manipulation in the text comes from the witches when they announce that he will soon become king as well as thane of Cawdor.”All hail,Macbeth,hail thee,Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!”.When Macbeth is named “Thane of Cawdor” shortly after a seed is planted in Macbeth's mind that it may be possible for the throne to become his.He soon realizes that he would need to…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examples Of Ambition In Macbeth
    • 152 Words
    • 1 Page

    Examples Of Ambition In Macbeth

    Though ambition is highly sought after, it has a dark side. The ambitious sometimes do things that are misguided and uncaring in order to move up in life. Ambition can be a bad thing because it can lead to greed and cause chaos in the search for power.…

    • 152 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Guilt In Macbeth
    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Examples Of Guilt In Macbeth

    Prompt 4: Guilt in each book shows a character's true colors and impacts the plot and character arc of each character. The scene that causes Macbeth to feel guilty is when Duncan (The King) comes to their village. Previously the witches had told Macbeth that he would be King, which he then told Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth hears this news and is ambitious to have Macbeth seize the throne as soon as possible. Lady Macbeth devises a plan to murder Ducan, which Macbeth isn’t so excited to hear at first.…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Fate And Free Will In Macbeth
    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Role Of Fate And Free Will In Macbeth

    In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, the reader is left to ponder the question of whether fate or free will is responsible for Macbeth's actions. Some people believe that the three sisters control Macbeth's fate and that he is as much a victim as King Duncan and his grooms, while others believe that Macbeth, alone, is responsible for his actions. Although fate has a part in Macbeth's decisions, the story is a tragedy of character. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will someday be king and Lady Macbeth rouses his hidden aspirations and desires, but it is Macbeth's ambition that gives rise to the poor decisions he makes to fulfill the prophecy.…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Free Will In Macbeth
    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Examples Of Free Will In Macbeth

    Shakespeare shows that free choice rather than fate is responsible for the downfall of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth had many instances that he could have stopped creating destruction in the lives of both himself and the other people in his life. Coincidentally, if he had chosen not to kill so many people, he himself would not have been killed. Macbeth decides to let Lady Macbeth pressure him into killing the King. This was the first instance of free will. Had he chosen not to kill him, he would not have turned into such a cold-blooded killer. All of deaths that occur because Macbeth is trying to climb to the top can all be summed up into free choice. He chose to kill the king, so now why couldn’t he keep killing? It is not like it…

    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth's Destiny, An Issue of Fate or Freewill??? William Shakespear Macbeth
    • 663 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Macbeth's Destiny, An Issue of Fate or Freewill??? William Shakespear Macbeth

    The witches or "weird sisters" spell Macbeth's fate out for him. They tell him that he is to be king. Soon after Macbeth kills the existing king and claims the throne. This is where the theme of free will comes into play. Is Macbeth's claim to the throne really a matter of fate, or were the words of the witches only what pushed Macbeth into executing a plot that had been stewing in his mind for quite a while. Throughout the play it becomes increasingly clear that Macbeth has a spirit living within him that will be stopped by nothing and noone. Were the witches just stating the inevitable? That a man with such a demeanor will inevitably one day take the throne?…

    • 663 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth: Fate Vs Free Will
    • 164 Words
    • 1 Page

    Macbeth: Fate Vs Free Will

    In Macbeth’s course, free will is more significant than fate. Fate interfered in the story, of course: if the witches didn’t predict all the things that would happen, Macbeth would not have had some ideas of things to do. But all he did was controlled by himself, he was the one to choose those acts. Throughout the story, he changed some things that were predicted, which also proves that fate wasn’t that significant, at all. Fate can’t be a way to justify all the actions someone commits, because then it is easy to blame other factors for something that was done by someone’s decisions.…

    • 164 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    William Shakespeare And Freewill Summary
    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare And Freewill Summary

    In the article titled,“William Shakespeare and Freewill: A libertarian and Naturalistic Enquiry Into the Actions of Macbeth”, written by Maryisabella Ada Ezeh, claims that the behaviours of the characters in Shakespeare’s, “Macbeth” are solely actions of their free will. The author analyzes the play through a libertarian and naturalistic perspective to show whether or not free will is present within Macbeth’s life. Ezeh concentrates on the supporting characters surrounding Macbeth and explains how they partake in influencing his decisions. Additionally, the ways Lady Macbeth and the Witches affect/play a role in Macbeth's ways of thinking. Although, these characters are shown to predetermine Macbeth’s decisions, they do not choose for him.…

    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth: The Struggle Between Calvinism And Free Will
    • 948 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Macbeth: The Struggle Between Calvinism And Free Will

    There has been a phenomenological debate on how free “free will” truly is from time immemorial; as long as humanity has been self-aware they have wondered if their decisions are their own. This curiosity has reared its head in theology, philosophy, literature, and more recently the fields of psychology, cognitive science, and sociology. The Catholic Christian tradition has long supported the idea that one is in control of one’s own thoughts and actions and therefore is responsible for said thoughts and actions. Calvinism, however, has largely disagreed with this sentiment in stating that there is no free will, that all our thoughts and actions are fated, and that one’s place in Heaven or one’s place in Hell is predetermined. Predestination, as this is called, was prominent in Scotland at the time William Shakespeare’s Macbeth was being written. At this time a Scottish, Protestant King has united his crown with that of England and a year before its creation there was a Catholic plot to assassinate this King, all of his advisors, and the other Protestant politicians of the time. These are events…

    • 948 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Fate vs Free will in Macbeth
    • 1707 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Fate vs Free will in Macbeth

    A prominent theme in Macbeth is fate vs freewill. Is it fate, or free will which determines the rise and fall of Macbeth? The rise of Macbeth begins with him running into three witches on his way home from a battle. The witches prophesised that he would become King. This is one of the factors that contributed to Macbeth’s belief that he should become King. Another factor was his wife, Lady Macbeth, encouraging him to fulfil the prophecy right away by killing the current king, King Duncan. Although these factors may have contributed to Macbeth’s actions, he remained capable of making his own choices.…

    • 1707 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Macbeth - Fate or Choice?
    • 1457 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Macbeth - Fate or Choice?

    Throughout the ages it is believed fate, by some uncontrollable force, has the power to forge one's destiny. The outcome of a person's choices is controlled by the way in which they are fated to occur. However, some believe these choices can defy fate and that fate only manipulates one's mind into choosing their own path. The question still remains as to whether individuals are victims of fate or of their own choices, or if each aspect plays a significant part in determining their destiny. In the play Macbeth, writer William Shakespeare toys with this idea of fate, placing Macbeth's destiny before him, yet allowing his own ambitions and idealistic views to drive himself irrefutably mad in order to achieve it. Macbeth is ultimately used by Shakespeare to fight the battle of his own manifestation and lay claim to what is foretold as his, but fate it seems, is not always as clear as Macbeth first thought.…

    • 1457 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Macbeth's Freewill of Choice
    • 1785 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Macbeth's Freewill of Choice

    Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies. It tells the story of a man who makes bad choices based on the influence of others. Macbeth is an honorable solider until he meets three evil witches that know his deepest desire is to one day be king, so they tell him that he will be king one day. Macbeth immediately begins to have thoughts of murdering King Duncan even though he knows it is wrong. When Lady Macbeth learns that Macbeth will eventually become king, she begins making plans to murder Duncan as well. When Macbeth has doubts about the murder, Lady Macbeth uses the love he has for her to persuade him to make the choices she wants him to make. Therefore, Macbeth does not make the best choices possible. In fact, he makes all bad choices. Not only does he murder Duncan, he begins murdering people who are close to him as well. It is the influence of the three witches, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth's own ambition that lead to his ultimate downfall. However, in the end it is Macbeth’s ambition the has the greatest influence over his choices.…

    • 1785 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Fate Vs Free Will In Macbeth
    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Theme Of Fate Vs Free Will In Macbeth

    Throughout the play, the witches challenge Macbeth’s fate by removing his free will. However, it is equally possible that the witches just revealed a destiny to Macbeth instead of planting “prophecies” or ideas in his head. Either way, Macbeth’s actions were heavily influenced by the words of the witches. Because Macbeth felt that his life was predestined by fate, he lived his life by the words of the witches. The prominent theme of “fate versus free will” not only set the tone for the story, but also is a key reason why Macbeth is such a classic story to this day. The question of whether people’s actions are driven by fate or free will may just be…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Is Macbeth Really Responsible for the Murder of King Duncan? Essay Example
    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Is Macbeth Really Responsible for the Murder of King Duncan? Essay Example

    On the other hand, they prophesy that it will happen, but they do not make it happen. Macbeth's choices might have single handedly caused the death of the King. This play brings up the debate of free will versus fate, but Shakespeare seems to support free will ruling over fate. They predict that he will be king, which is what leads him to actually think properly about killing Duncan, and of course what prompts Lady Macbeth to insist that he carries out the crime. But, it seems, his "black and deep desire" for the throne was there before the witches’ prophecies too. They might catalyse him into action. But he does it.…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics