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.