Role Of Fate In Macbeth

Macbeth Essay Is fate the driving factor behind everything that happens in our lives, or does every decision we make build the path for our future? This is the question asked through Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth. While the title character has many vexing decisions he must make, he is ultimately being moved through life as a pawn of fate.
The first issue at hand is what Macbeth’s true destiny is. Macbeth is given three prophecies from witches, the first, which has already been fulfilled, is that he will be Thane of Glamis. The second, he will be Thane of Cawdor, which comes true shortly after Macbeth is informed of this. Third, he will be King of Scotland. The witches and their prophecies are used to mislead the audience and Macbeth into believing that his destiny would be to become king. Despite that fact that he will become King of Scotland, his destiny goes much further than that; his inescapable future is to be murdered long before he is ready to die. Macbeth is unknowingly living a life that is nearing his inevitable murder. As the play begins Macbeth has a good heart and is seen as “brave”(1:2 ln 18) and
The witches are the first to put ideas in his head, but we see another influence when Lady Macbeth reinforces the immoral thoughts Macbeth had earlier by notifying him that he will be killing Duncan. At first Macbeth is given no choice, but after he contemplates it, he tells his wife, “We will proceed no further in this business:” (1:7 ln 31) The obdurate Lady Macbeth, as just a piece of Macbeth’s fate, once again convinces him that he must do the act. As Macbeth has been married to his wife for a long time and he trusts and respects her opinion he decides to murder Duncan. This choice he made is the first step in fulfilling his painful