Fate Presented In Macbeth

358 Words2 Pages
How does Shakespeare present *fate* in Macbeth? *When Macbeth learns from a messenger that the king has indeed awarded him the title of Thane of Cawdor, that inner* seed of ambition bursts into flourishing growth, and he begins to contemplate the prospect that the witc*hes' predictions might be valid and* that he might *indeed be "king hereafter." Why, he asks himself, does it "unfix my hair / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs / Against the use of nature?" But he calms himself with the thought that "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, / Without my stir." Macbeth responds, in brief, as a loyal thane to the Scottish king, but the prospect unnerves him.* The audience could see Macbeth’s ambition leading him to cursed thoughts which has been greatly *enforced and twisted* by the* malicious* witches. *The caution from the first apparition causes Macbeth to start a bloody massacre across England, killing families of people who may threaten his position. After this point in the play, we see *that *Macbeth* has* turn*ed* into a ruthless tyrant* in the hope of avoiding fate*, so desensitized to humanity that even the suicide of his wife *could not arouse grief from him.* All he could muster was* “She should have died hereafter”. *As Malcolm commands his* army of soldiers,* sick of Macbeth’s reign march* towards Macbeth’s castle,* Macbeth, who has “almost forgot the taste of fears” realises the third apparitions is a half-truth, that Birnam woods is actually a large army of soldiers* using branches to hide their numbers. *Although Macbeth has become a ruthless murderer, he commands a certain amount of sympathy from the audience. Macbeth has been victimized by fate *which *pre-determines his tragic end*.* We disagree with how the witches, who enjoy the misfortune of others-“fair is foul, and

More about Fate Presented In Macbeth

Open Document