The Role Of Fate In Macbeth

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Not often is one able to look down the tunnel of time and see their future in front of them. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth fulfills the requirements for being a tragic hero by learning about his individual influence on fate and the prophecy the witches revealed to him. When the witches revealed Macbeth’s future roles to him it not only gave him insight into who he would become, but also sparked the beginning of his struggle with his influence on his own destiny. Through his initial denial of the prognostication and eventual acceptance of his role in the story, he learns to embrace the future and his role as king and his role in fate.
When Macbeth is first introduced to the witches and to the information they share with him, he questions them and begs for more. After hearing the prophecy, in confusion he cries out, “Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more”(1.3.73). For him to learn something about himself and about fate, he must first be ignorant to it. His intrigue and requests for more foreshadows how Macbeth will struggle with this information later on in the text. Later, when writing to Lady Macbeth he references the augury, saying, “these Weїrd Sisters saluted me and referred me to
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Macbeth shows that he has learned about his influence on destiny by asserting his power and having the Murderers make, “[Banquo’s] soul...make it to heaven...tonight”(3.2.161-2). In earlier accounts of Macbeth he wanted to be king, but did not want to take seemingly extreme measures to ensure his position. Macbeth when ordering Banquo and Fleance’s murder is no longer wrestling with the morality of this act, but taking any necessary measure to ensure that he maintains his position as king. He has learned by personal experience that denying fate’s path is a useless task, and so gives into the acts his conscience once