Free Will in William Shakespeare´s Macbeth - 836 Words

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language concludes that free will is the ability to act without the constraint of necessity or fate. Occasionally, we are pressured, manipulated or controlled to make certain decisions by our surroundings, which defeats the purpose of free will. In William Shakespeare’s play the Tragedy of Macbeth, the witches’ prophecies negate Macbeth’s free will. When the witches announce their prophecies, the possibility of the predictions coming true overpowers Macbeth’s thoughts. Subsequent to receiving the prophecies from the witches, the second prophecy comes true, manipulating him into thinking that this is his fate and the third prophecy will be fulfilled as well. Lastly, Lady Macbeth was determined to fulfill the third prophecy, and Macbeth put his belief and trusts in the witches’ prophecies, causing Macbeth to suffer psychologically. I will discuss quotations and events from the play to prove Macbeth d id not murder Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s household out of his free will. Predestination, being driven by the witches’ prophecies, and alteration of the way he thinks are three factors that have impacted his decision to commit the immoral deeds, abolishing his free will. Firstly, Macbeth’s free will was negated by the witches’ prophesies due to predestination. In Shakespeare’s time, they used to believe in the supernatural. In the play, Macbeth, the witches proclaim Macbeth is going to be Thane of Glamis, Cawdor and King. He knewShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth - The Idea Of Free Will1101 Words   |  5 PagesO’Connor British Literature 13 December 2015 Macbeth Final Essay In Macbeth the idea of free will is not known for sure, but Shakespeare’s play makes clear that free will is in existence. Macbeth, is controlled by a group of three witches that tell him he needs to become the King. This leads him onto a downward spiral path in his own life, the people around him, and his country. Macbeth convinced himself that what the witches said was true. The meaning of free will is the ability to make choices on yourRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth : The Tragedy Of Fate Or Free Will1335 Words   |  6 Pagesthis tragic play by Shakespeare, Macbeth is faced with the question of fate or free will. While fate is a force or power that predetermines events, free will is the ability to decide actions according to oneself (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Throughout the play, Macbeth’s choices were influenced by many other characters which in turn alter his future. In the opening of the play, there were the 3 witches who sparked his initial interest to become King. 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