Throughout Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there are many themes. One of these themes is fate. Fate has a large role throughout the play. The opening act showed how fate would tie in with the rest of the play when the witches told Macbeth and Banquo the prophecies about their fates. Because Shakespeare used fate as a theme in so many of his plays, it can be inferred that the people of his time believed that one’s fate was inevitable; one’s fate was impossible to change. In this particular play, witchcraft goes hand-in-hand with fate. The witches are the first characters to talk about fate. Throughout the play, Macbeth spent his time trying to control and conquer fate. He did this by murdering Duncan, by hiring assassins to murder Banquo, and by fighting in a war to keep the throne.
When Macbeth heard of his prophecy, he made a plan with his wife, Lady Macbeth, to murder King Duncan so that he could take the throne. Duncan and some of his men had come to Macbeth’s house. While Duncan was sleeping, Macbeth murdered Duncan with a dagger. Afterwards, Lady Macbeth set up the scene to look as if Duncan’s guards had killed him. Although Macbeth’s conscience had told him not to commit the murder, he did it anyway to secure his own fate. After this first murder, Macbeth’s conscience had been conditioned to not feel guilty for killing. This first act started Macbeth’s long battle with fate.
Macbeth tried to conquer fate by hiring assassins to murder Banquo and his son Fleance. The prophecies had said that Banquo’s descendants would take the throne after Macbeth, and Macbeth did not want that to happen. In an attempt to prevent this, Macbeth tried to have Banquo and his son killed, but Fleance fled as Banquo was being murdered. This event had given fate the upper-hand on Macbeth. Macbeth knew that Fleance could be the one to take over the throne after him.
Macduff had suspicions that Macbeth was the murderer of Duncan, and so he went to England to convince Malcolm to return to Scotland to take down Macbeth, the tyrant. This led to a war between England and Scotland. Macbeth had battled to keep his seat on the throne, even though fate had other plans for him. He tried to destroy any possibility of the prophecies coming true after he was crowned king, but as we know about fate, it was not possible to change. The war led to the defeat and beheading of Macbeth, thus fulfilling the prophecies about his fate.
In the end, fate won, as it always does. Macbeth had been crowned king, and had lost his seat on the throne not too long after he gained it. He tried to command fate to his will: he murdered and fought in a war, but changing one’s fate is an impossible task to complete. Fate is unchangeable and inevitable. Macbeth’s fate was sealed from the moment he heard of the prophecies in the first act. Macbeth’s fate would have been the same no matter what his actions throughout the play were.
When Macbeth heard of his prophecy, he made a plan with his wife, Lady Macbeth, to murder King Duncan so that he could take the throne. Duncan and some of his men had come to Macbeth’s house. While Duncan was sleeping, Macbeth murdered Duncan with a dagger. Afterwards, Lady Macbeth set up the scene to look as if Duncan’s guards had killed him. Although Macbeth’s conscience had told him not to commit the murder, he did it anyway to secure his own fate. After this first murder, Macbeth’s conscience had been conditioned to not feel guilty for killing. This first act started Macbeth’s long battle with fate.
Macbeth tried to conquer fate by hiring assassins to murder Banquo and his son Fleance. The prophecies had said that Banquo’s descendants would take the throne after Macbeth, and Macbeth did not want that to happen. In an attempt to prevent this, Macbeth tried to have Banquo and his son killed, but Fleance fled as Banquo was being murdered. This event had given fate the upper-hand on Macbeth. Macbeth knew that Fleance could be the one to take over the throne after him.
Macduff had suspicions that Macbeth was the murderer of Duncan, and so he went to England to convince Malcolm to return to Scotland to take down Macbeth, the tyrant. This led to a war between England and Scotland. Macbeth had battled to keep his seat on the throne, even though fate had other plans for him. He tried to destroy any possibility of the prophecies coming true after he was crowned king, but as we know about fate, it was not possible to change. The war led to the defeat and beheading of Macbeth, thus fulfilling the prophecies about his fate.
In the end, fate won, as it always does. Macbeth had been crowned king, and had lost his seat on the throne not too long after he gained it. He tried to command fate to his will: he murdered and fought in a war, but changing one’s fate is an impossible task to complete. Fate is unchangeable and inevitable. Macbeth’s fate was sealed from the moment he heard of the prophecies in the first act. Macbeth’s fate would have been the same no matter what his actions throughout the play were.