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Macbeth Essay
The witches accurately predict Macbeths future, but do they control his fate? Why/Why Not

Exploring free will, prophecies and influence, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth demonstrates
what motivates people and how easily we are manipulated
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While the
witches in Macbeth are able to predict his future, they do not reign over his fate which is
heavily swayed by others
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But at no point was ‘brave” Macbeth
controlled, he always had free-will to make the judgments observed in the play
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The witches first three
prophecies instill in Macbeth’s mind that he could in fact be king, they cause him to
question his own moral and ethical values
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He considers the prospect of this “fantastical” murder and acquiring this goal which
“o’erleaps” all others
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In Act 3 Scene 5 we specifically see Hecate saying that they are going
to “draw him on to his confusion”, in essence they are heavily influencing his decisions but
he still has the capability to use his free will and change the prophecies
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They entire meaning of the prophecies is to given

Macbeth pushes into the right direction
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In parallel to this, Lady Macbeth has a large impact on Macbeths choices which ultimately
result in him doing things against his will
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She applies these qualities to guilt
Macbeth into killing King Duncan, impacting but not controlling his free will
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Lady
Macbeth is able to bend her husbands mind through insults and adding guilt to his
conscience
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In addition, the analogy of killing her
own child if she had sworn to Macbeth, demonstrates that similar to the withes, she is
manipulating Macbeth
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She
is simply thinking about her selfish wants, to have more control and more power, a common
human desire
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Through the entire play Macbeth has had control of his fate through his free will
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This is reflected in his murder of “noble” Banquo, it was his
option to have “fears in Banquo”
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The “fruitless
crown” and “barren sceptre” that he holds as king was a direct result of his earlier decision

to murder his king
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consequently, having been told to “fear Macduff”,
it was his decision to have his family murdered
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There is no control over Macbeth in this play, only a hero gone mad
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In Macbeths
case, “Unnatural deeds” did in fact result in “unnatural troubles”
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Despite the witches being able to predict Macbeths future, he is the one who has control
over his actions even though they are influenced by others
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Fate verses free will is a core theme of
Macbeth and is still present in todays society as people influence our actions and choices
through life

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