The Power of Fate and Karma in Macbeth Essay

In Shakespeare’s Tragedy Macbeth, it is very debatable if fate, or freewill is what causes Macbeth to do the things he does through out the tragedy. Freewill is at work most through out the tragedy because Macbeth is convinced he can change or speed up the fate the three weird sisters prophesized for him at his own will. Throughout the play, Macbeth slowly begins to think he can modify his fate by using the prophecies told to Macbeth by the weird sisters and attempting to change them by his free will.

In Macbeth, it was not fate that gave him such a terrible end, it was his lack of good decisions and the choice of doing the wrong thing. In life, a person decides whether to have a good life or a bad life. To have a good, successful life is all anyone hopes

Fate always plays a dangerously important role in the lives of men, and knowing their destinies can make people do things that may be good or bad. Although Macbeth was a good general, fighting with the interest of protecting his country from invaders, his destiny forbade it and he was changed into cold, heartless tyrant. Even when he tried to resist his fate, the very thing he did, was what caused his death in the end. This illustrates the unsurmountable power of fate and the path set out for us. We can’t avoid it, and no matter what we do , we are always drawn back to what was meant to be. Often, this is what causes people to do unnatural (bad) things out of desperation.

Throughout the play of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth has many different emotions. She is very demanding and in control of what she wants people to do. She is very confident in her plans that they will get done. But also, there are times when she may feel weak or scared to do something. She forces Macbeth to go along with the plan to kill Duncan so he can be King and she will be Queen. Lady Macbeth is sure that they will not get caught witheir plans and they will be safe. She is nervous though when it is time to kill Duncan because he looks like her father. Lady Macbeth shows lots of emotions during the play.

While Macbeth’s downfall is caused by his own decisions, fate still does play a role. If the witches had not given him the prophecy that he would become king, Macbeth may never have decided to murder Duncan, the act that caused him to continue his downwards spiral into madness and cruelty. Fate can also be considered to encompass the free will of other characters in the play, as Macbeth cannot control their actions or make decisions for them. If Lady Macbeth had not spurred Macbeth towards the murder of Duncan, Macbeth may have made a different decision when he heard the bell ring. If Macduff had not fled to England, Macbeth may not have been motivated to kill everyone residing at Fife, which led Macduff to seek revenge by killing Macbeth. However, Macbeth never lost the option to choose how he would react to each of these events presented to him by fate. He clearly was able to think for himself, as evidenced by his

Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he “heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep,’ to all the house”, which forewarns Macbeth’s fate (2.2.47-48,54). The voices that Macbeth hears reflects on his worry for the consequences he may receive for committing murder. It symbolizes how Macbeth’s mind is slowly succumbing to insanity since, regardless of what he thinks is right and wrong, he still accepts to do the deed of killing Duncan to gain power. Macbeth is the only one in the banquet that sees Banquo’s ghost. During the celebration of his crowning as King, Banquo enters the scene as a ghost after being killed by Macbeth’s murderers. Macbeth tells the ghost, “Thou canst not say I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me,” (3.4.63-64). He explains to Banquo that he cannot tell anyone that he caused his death, meaning that his conscience still plagues him to the point he sees an illusory

In this scene of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is talking to herself about the murder of Banquo. Lady Macbeth goes insane from the death of many people that she is accountable for to an extent. The Doctor and the Gentlewomen both were curious of the situation and realized that Lady Macbeth was guilty of something. In this scene, Shakespeare portrays a common theme of madness and karma; the Doctor and Gentlewomen are represented as narrators to tell the story of what’s happening, through the eyes of innocent people.

The gruesome and supernatural play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, captures the audience's attention in the very first scene and does not let it go. Through countless murders and arguably psychotic main characters the play conveys a mystifying message which has drawn people to it for centuries. The play, which includes mythical aspects such as prophecies, fate, and the three witches, details the antagonist Macbeth's actions and the prophecies given to him. The idea of fate and it’s ability to control the whole plot of the play is brought into question but free will can also be argued as a controlling factor of the characters. Throughout the play, the idea of fate versus free will is a prominent theme; however, ultimately Macbeth controls his own actions and little fate is involved in his downfall.

Then later lady Macbeth starts to slowly relies that Macbeth is not enjoying his new spot as king. Act 3, scenes 4 Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo after he had to commit another crime and hire assassins to kill Banquo so that nobody assumes that it was him that killed king Duncan. So Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost at the banquet table and starts to freak out, His guilty conscience is making him see the ghost because he is mainly responsible for Banquo’s

After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth is in a dangerous place. He is emotionally wrecked, and his wife is telling him to man up after killing one of his friends. Macbeth says that "to know my deed, 'twere best not know myself," he is stating that he does not feel like himself anymore after committing such a horrendous crime that he knows it was wrong(2.2.71). This incident is when he begins to question his values, and it sets him on the path to having more significant internal conflicts. By the beginning of Act II, Macbeth is king and has become paranoid about being overthrown.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play in which highlights how ones nature and judgment can be responsible for the devise and shape of their own fate. Macbeth is a character of whom although his choices are superficially guided by others, his very fate is resolute of his character and attributes. His impatient ambition, stubborn need to protect his pride and consequential decision making, are all integral attributes to the story in which furthermore prove that Macbeth is entirely responsible for his own fate.

She falls victim to the guilt and insecurity that hovers around the Macbeths after they ascend to the throne. She laments, “’Tis safer to be that which we destroy/Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy”(III, ii, ll. 6-7) Lady Macbeth is now doubtful and unsure of her current position. Her change in character causes Macbeth to falter, as he starts to show signs of paranoia and insanity without her former strong support. During Macbeth’s banquet when he invites all the thanes of Scotland, he sees Banquo’s ghost. Frightened, he shouts at it, alarming his guests and raising eyebrows. Lady Macbeth is not at all supportive, telling Macbeth that he has “… displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting,/With most admired disorder”(III, iv, ll. 108-109). Even as Lady Macbeth tries to again cover for her husband, she does not do so well enough. “I pray you, speak not,” she cries, “he grows worse and worse;/Question enrages him. At once, good night:/ Stand not upon the order of your going,/But go at once”(III, iv, ll.116-118). Despite her best efforts, the thanes leave Macbeth’s meeting suspicious of their current King, whose ascension to the throne happens to coincide closely to the deaths of both Duncan and Banquo. With Lady Macbeth’s strong will now overshadowed by her doubt, Macbeth begins to lose support from both his thanes and his subjects, cueing his eventual

So he kills many more people who he believes suspect him of murder. He becomes suspicious and insecure. He is scared of what he has done and fearful of deeds to follow. One of the main pieces of evidence that portrays a breakdown within the person is Macbeth's inability to sleep. This comes forward in Act two Scene 2 "I heard a voice cry `Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep'" (lines 33-34). Sleep was seen as the natural end to the day and it was unnatural to not be able to sleep. Macbeth lost the ability to restore himself within his mind and his body, therefore becoming abnormal. The fact that Banquo's ghost appeared to him at the banquet shows his troubled conscience - his murderous deeds are playing on his mind. The vision of the ghost also represents the fact that after Macbeth killed Banquo, he entered into the world of the supernatural at a level that he had never stooped to before. All the evidence above portrays a steadily growing breakdown within the person - within Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth's reaction to Macbeth seeing Banquo's ghost is to immediately cover up her husband's hallucinations. Lady Macbeth reminds her husband that the vision he is seeing is similar to the one that involves the daggers. She convinces him that it is all a part of his imagination. Lady Macbeth urges macbeth to forget his fear and portray good behavior for the guest. When Macbeth cannot control his behavior, Lady Macbeth insist that the guest must leave “He will again be well: if much you note him,” trying to cover up her husbands wrongdoings once again (3.4.55). Lady Macbeth is in her husband’s ear mulipinating him to think what he is seeing is not true to save

If I told you that you would win class president no matter what, would you continue to campaign and take down your competition, or just let your class decide who they want? Well in Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses conflict and witchcraft to develop the theme of fate/free will. The theme plays a big part in the play because Macbeth has to decide to act or to let the cards land as they may. It causes major internal conflict for Macbeth and pushes him to make decisions that overall are significant to the entire play.