the extent of fate versus free will essay

can be used for tragic hero as well

thesis

While the downfall of Macbeth can be attributed in part to his own ambition, it is the manipulative influences of external forces against his free will, most notably the witches and Lady Macbeth, that are ultimately instrumental in ensuring his tragic downfall.

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Macbeth’s downfall is partly rooted in his own ambition, as Shakespeare establishes his desire for kingship even before external forces exert their influence. In his soliloquy, Macbeth admits, “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent but only / Vaulting ambition” (1.7). The metaphor of a horse rider overleaping their jump conveys both his awareness of ambition’s dangers and his inability to restrain it. Macbeth’s awareness emphasises how unchecked ambition can overleap reason and disrupt the natural order, foreshadowing how his downfall originates in his own free will.

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Macbeth further appeals to the darkness, “Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires” (1.4), where he reveals his willingness to entertain treacherous thoughts and conceal them beneath secrecy. This longing for the crown positions ambition as a moral weakness that threatens to corrupt reason and loyalty. Within the Jacobean context, such desire would be viewed as blasphemous, since the Divine Right of Kings positioned regicide as a disruption of God’s natural order. Shakespeare thus illustrates that Macbeth’s downfall cannot be explained solely by supernatural or external manipulation, since his susceptibility originates from his own ambition. However, while Macbeth’s free will establishes the foundation of his decline, it is not enough on its own to drive him to act, leaving space for the influence of the witches and Lady Macbeth to exploit his weakness.

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While ambition initiates Macbeth’s downfall, the witches are instrumental in steering him towards destruction by exploiting his moral weakness. Their cryptic greeting, “All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter” (1.3), ignites his ambition by presenting kingship as inevitable, while withholding details of how he will achieve it. Shakespeare’s deliberate use of equivocation highlights the witches’ role as catalysts rather than controllers of fate. They tempt Macbeth by planting the idea of kingship, yet leave the choice of action to him, aligning with the Jacobean belief that the devil may tempt but cannot compel. The audience are positioned to view witches as agents of chaos who corrupt human morality and lead individuals astray from divine order.

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Later, the witches further manipulate him through their equivocal promise, “None of woman born shall harm Macbeth” (4.1). This prophecy, intentionally phrased to mislead, gives Macbeth a false sense of invincibility, fuelling his reckless arrogance and violence. By presenting these equivocations, Shakespeare reflects Jacobean cultural fears of witchcraft and their corruption of human morality. Importantly, Macbeth’s downfall arises not simply from fate, but from his decision to embrace their words and interpret them in a self-serving manner. In succumbing to their manipulative language, Macbeth chooses to act on temptation rather than exercising restraint, revealing that this corruption of external influence, contributes to his destruction. Through the witches, Shakespeare dramatises the Jacobean fear that supernatural forces exploit human weakness, showing how ambition and fate intertwine to ensure Macbeth’s downfall.

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Lady Macbeth’s influence acts as a force driving Macbeth’s ambition into violent action, as she manipulates both his conscience and identity. Upon receiving his letter, she fears he is “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness” (1.5) to commit murder, reducing compassion to a weakness incompatible with ambition. She challenges his masculinity directly, equating manhood with ruthless action. By attacking his sense of identity, she compels Macbeth to act against his better judgement, transforming thought into deed. Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth’s manipulation as deeply transgressive, as she subverts Jacobean gender expectations of women as passive and nurturing. Her unnatural dominance unsettles the patriarchal order, positioning the audience to view her influence as a corruptive force that destabilises both marriage and monarchy.

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This is further reinforced in her advice, “Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” (1.5), which instructs Macbeth to mask treachery with a façade of loyalty. In urging deception and regicide, Lady Macbeth becomes the instigator of action that Macbeth himself hesitates to commit. For Jacobean audiences, her rejection of traditional femininity and manipulation of her husband would be perceived as unnatural, directly linked to chaos and disorder. The regicide of the divinely ordained King reinforces the Jacobean belief that disrupting the Divine Right of Kings inevitably leads to chaos and retribution. While Macbeth’s ambition predisposes him to temptation, it is Lady Macbeth’s influence that accelerates his moral decline and drives him towards regicide, reinforcing her instrumental role in his tragic downfall.

tragic hero thesis

While the downfall of Macbeth can be attributed in part to his own hamartia, it is the manipulative influences of external forces against his free will, most notably the witches and Lady Macbeth, that are ultimately instrumental in ensuring his tragic downfall, thereby positioning him as a tragic hero.