Free Will In Shakespeare's Macbeth

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In the famous play Macbeth, Shakespeare composes a drama about a former hero gone awry with power. Macbeth conducts rash decisions based on the three witches' prophecies and his wife's opinions. He kills and does anything necessary to get the power he desires. Although he is greatly influenced by the three witches and his wife, his actions are entirely his own. Shakespeare makes Macbeth seem like a puppet pulled by the strings of his wife and the witches. However, the true puppeteer is Macbeth himself controlling his own strings. Macbeth establishes his own free will throughout the play. For example, he feels his power is being threatened by those around him. He has the need to have everything go his way, so if someone threatens that, he has…show more content…
After Duncan’s death, Macbeth realizes he kills him in vain. Macbeth has no children of his own, so the power of his line would have to start and stop with him. Therefore, the murder of Duncan benefits Banquo more than Macbeth. He becomes angry that "no son of [his] succeeding. If't be so, / For Banquo's issue have [he] filed [his] mind" (III.i.64-65). Consequently, he makes the conscious decision to have two murderers assassinate Banquo. It was his choice to fight faith so that no one else would benefit from the murder of Duncan. In addition, not only do the witches tell Macbeth his faith, they also tell Banquo. They tell him that his descendants will be kings, "Though thou be none" (I.iii.67). Banquo does nothing to provoke this prophecy from happening. Unlike Macbeth, he lets things be because he knows better than to mess with faith. Thus, Macbeth does everything he does is out of his own choices. It was his choice to kill his king and all the innocent people…show more content…
Banquo is only one of the many people Macbeth has killed. Macbeth visits the witches a second time. The witches warn him to "Beware Macduff" (IV.i.72). As a result, Macbeth orders his men to kill Macduff. Macbeth furthers his instructions by saying, "Seize upon Fife, give to the edge o' sword / His wife, his babies, and all unfortunate souls / That trace him in his line" (IV.ii.150-153). Macbeth does not need to kill anyone. He convinces himself that he is invincible. However, he wants to kill Macduff to make sure nothing halts his rise to power . No one pressures him into killing Macduff. He does not to kill Macduff’s family, which poses no real threat to him. The unnecessary murders he conducts were his own actions. Although the witches instigate these horrific acts with the temptation of Macbeth's intriguing future, Macbeth takes the course of murder because he wants to. Aside from the choices of murder and life, Macbeth also chooses between many decisions in the play. During his second visit to the witches, he demands to know more about his future. The witches give him the choice of having them explain his future to him or come to his own conclusions by watching it. In response, he says, "Call ‘em; let me see ‘em" (IV.i.64). Macbeth had the choice of having the witches interpret his faith to him, but he denies it. Macbeth faces with many choices in the play, and he choses his decisions on his own. Macbeth
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