Theme Of Fate Vs Free Will In Macbeth

The phrase, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” chanted by the first of the three witches in Act 1, Scene 3 expresses the theme of “fate versus free will” in the tragedy Macbeth written by William Shakespeare. The writer uses the words “all hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter” to get the reader to question the motivations of the notorious witches. When the witches say this quote, it is difficult to know whether they reveal a destiny to Macbeth that can’t be avoided, or if they simply plant ideas in Macbeth’s mind to cause mischief. Does Macbeth have control over his own fate? Do the witches play on Macbeth’s ambition to plant the idea of murder in his head? It appears that many of Macbeth’s immoral decisions may have been heavily influenced by these words muttered by the witches. By the time Macbeth arrived at Duncan’s castle after his first encounter with the witches, the “weird sisters’” message lingered in his mind. Numerous times on his journey to the King did the thought of murder cross Macbeth’s mind. When Macbeth heard that Duncan appointed his eldest son,
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