Fate and How It Is Shown in Four Classic Novels

1637 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Fate vs free will

Fate
In the end God ultimately decides ones fate, but one can influence His choice throughout their life. The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, as well as the books The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, Divine Comedy by Dante, and Oresteia by Aeschylus all talk about justice and fate. These stories show how even though God will decide what happens to someone at the end, the actions one does is how God bases his decision. One’s fate is determined based on what God and the law think is just. Human beings have free will and know what is right and wrong. Depending on what ones actions are they will have a good or a bad fate. Changing your ways to better fulfill Gods will is something that humans can do at any time. While it is true that God will determine what happens to people and what their final fate is, human beings do have control over their fate.
In the play Macbeth, Macbeth hears a prophecy from the three witches telling him he will be king. After hearing the prophecy Macbeth said, [Aside] “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir,” (1.4.146). At first Macbeth was planning on just waiting until he was crowned king by chance, he was not going to intervene at all. This shows how humans have control over their fate. He could have just waited until he naturally became king which would have made God happier. Later in the play though, Macbeth hears news that Malcolm has been crowned the Prince of Cumberland. After hearing this Macbeth says, “[Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done...

... middle of paper ...

...ate. This is shown in the books The Prince, Macbeth, The Oresteia, and The Divine Comedy. God is the one who decides what happens to someone during their life, but humans can influence his decision and ultimately decide their own fate. In Macbeth and The Oresteia, Agamemnon and Macbeth are both given prophecies. Agamemnon was given a choice on sacrificing his daughter or not and Macbeth had the choice to either let chance happen or take matters into his own hands. These books show that human beings do in fact have control over their fate. Sometimes in these books they blame the Gods or other people and say that they made them do it. Since human beings have free will this is not a viable excuse. People can react to things however they want. Therefore, even though God may decide what happens to you, human beings control their fate by the actions they choose in life.

Show More
Related

  • The Impact of Free Will in William Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    Free will is defined as the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate. It is the ability to act at one’s own discretion. What this means is that there is no set destiny; only a person’s own decisions can impact the outcome of their life. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, free will plays a very substantial and powerful role. In 11th century Scotland, three witches give a prophecy to Macbeth, a general in King Duncan’s army, that he will one day become King himself. They also give a prophecy to Macbeth’s best friend, Banquo, telling him that his descendants will be Kings. Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, hatch a plan to commit regicide in order to speed up the process. After their father is found dead, the King’s sons flee to England and Ireland and unknowingly casting the blame upon them. Macbeth is crowned King, and the prophecy has been fulfilled. Macbeth’s reign as King is one of violence and destruction, and he is overcome with guilt. He kills a lord named Macduff’s family because he finds out he has gone to England to help one of the sons. Macduff comes back to Scotland and slays Macbeth, and King Duncan’s eldest son becomes King. Some might argue that Macbeth was a victim of fate and circumstance, but it was of his own free will that he decided to murder King Duncan, and go on a reign of terror as King. Shakespeare’s Macbeth establishes that one’s free will can impact their decision-making abilities, ambition and paranoia. Free will is a concept that not everyone accepts, but something that Macbeth takes head on.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Dbq Analysis

    628 Words  | 2 Pages

    The underlying cause of Macbeth’s fate was his own actions and ambitions. He possesses his own free-will and kills King Duncan despite the deed being so cruel and nothing forcing his hand (Doc C). Lady Macbeth has no power over his actions. She may only influence thoughts and opinions. The Weïrd Sisters too, while highly convincing to him, have no physical power over Macbeth’s actions. After acquiring his title of Thane of Cawdor, he recognizes that if these predictions were absolute, then “chance may crown [him],/Without [his] stir.” (Doc A). If the predictions were truly ultimate, then action would not be required. However, because he still felt the need to ensure his position as king, he tempts fate and pays the price. There was no outer force controlling Macbeth’s actions and he is fully

    Read More

  • Fate In Into The Wild

    532 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many believe that our choices in life are already made for us and we have no control to what happens to us, although others believe that this life is like an epic journey and we can change our fate at any moment. It´s hard to choose which side you believe in my honest opinion I believe that our lives do not ¨lie in the fate of God¨ as stated by in the Iraq War Post by Faiza Al-Araji however I believe instead that our life is an odyssey, that we must travel through and make important choices by ourselves not by fate. But with many edvidence and claims in both story the question ¨How much in our lives do we actually controls?¨ wanders through our mind.

    Read More

  • The Roles of Greed and Pride in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1287 Words  | 3 Pages

    Macbeth begins to defer from his original character when he learns of the witches’ prophecies, which leads him to believe he is fated to be king and to pursue that “destiny.” After the witches make the prophecies, he merely views the thought of himself becoming king as something that “Stands not within the prospect of belief” (I. iii. 77). Macbeth’s disbelief of their claim of him obtaining the crown reveals how Macbeth does not trust the witches’ words and has no true ambition to become king. However soon after Banquo’s and Macbeth’s encounter with the witches, a messenger of the King greets him with the title of Thane of Cawdor as well as the title of Thane of Glamis as the witches had also done. These two titles are seen from Macbeth as “Two truths [that] are told/ As happy prologues to the swelling act/ Of the imperial theme” (I. iii. 140-142). Having one of the two prophecies become reality validates the witches’ words and makes Macbeth take their words seriously to be the truth, sparking his desire for power to fulfill the last prophecy. He now believes that what the witches have made it his destiny to become king, and it is his duty to fulfill it. Through Duncan and Macbeth’s dialogue, Macbeth hears about Malcolm b...

    Read More

  • Macbeth a Victim of Choice not Fate

    431 Words  | 1 Pages

    To begin, we look at the first prediction of the witches. They call him by the names of ?Thane of Glamis?, which he already is, ?Thane of Cawdor? (a title he does not know he has been given), and "King hereafter." As a result, the first two things the witches tell him aren?t prophesies because they have already happened. Look at the third and most important prophecy. The witches tell Macbeth that he will become ?King Hereafter?, there?s knowledge that this actually happened. ?If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me.? (1 3) Did it happen because of fate or did Macbeth make it happen? The witches tempted Macbeth to kill the King, however, it was his own ambition that led him to do that terrible thing. Macbeth, even though he was uneasy, he chose to kill King Duncan and ascend to the throne of Scotland. ?Nothing is

    Read More

  • Persuasion in Macbeth

    1515 Words  | 4 Pages

    The witches vanish after giving their news of the future. The king's lords, Ross and Angus, come to tell Macbeth some great news. He is will receive the title, Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is now starting to trust the witches' words. Macbeth believes the witches are right, and that he will not have to help his prophecy come true. "If chance have me king, why, chance may crown me, / without my stir" (I.iii.143-144). He doesn't want to get involved with his fate, he just wants fate to lead it's own course.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Free Will In Ishmael

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    Humans create their own fate. We choose whether to save or destroy the planets resources. If we don’t do the right thing it could lead to problems in the future. In a sense we create our own destiny because we have free will. In Ishmael written by Daniel Quinn, the narrator and Ishmael talk in great length about how humans are leading to their own destruction by using their free will irresponsibly.

    Read More

  • Fate in Macbeth

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    "All hail, Macbeth Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth Hail to thee, thou shall be King hereafter!" (1.3.49) The witches help fate out by giving Macbeth this information. If Macbeth had never known this, he would never have had the idea of becoming thane of Cawdor or king. This is the start to Macbeth's road to success and ultimate demise. It was predetermined by fate that Macbeth would believe the witches' words. When Macbeth does in fact become thane of Cawdor, he then believes fully in the witches and is willing to do anything it takes to become king.

    Read More

  • Importance of the Witches Prophecies in Macbeth

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor. All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”(1.3.51-53) and also goes on to tell Banquo that his descendents will be kings even though he won’t become one. At first Macbeth dismisses these claims, and Banquo suggest that they were just hallucinating, but the idea of becoming Thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland has been implanted in Macbeths head. Coincidentally just before Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches Duncan announces to Ross that Macbeth will be the new thane of Cawdor “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth.”(1.3.76-76) When Macbeth finds out that he will become thane of Cawdor from Ross and Angus he starts to truly believe that he can and will become the new king. The witches use this previously announced fact “Hail to you, thane of Cawdor” as a catalyst, to trick him into believing that he will become king which makes him take action towards the prophecy, but which was really his free will maki...

    Read More

  • Macbeth: The True Nature of Man

    827 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is described as being “valiant”. He is a skilled warrior, who is loyal to his king and his country. Almost single-handedly, he wins the war for Scotland. He defeats many of the enemy soldiers, including a traitor, all in the name of his king. But, when three witches encounter Macbeth and his friend Banquo, Macbeth’s ambition begins to grow. They tell Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor and King. Soon after, Macbeth meets with King Duncan. He informs Macbeth that he is the new Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is astonished, and from then on he is obsessed with being king. His ambition begins to become ruthless when Duncan proclaims that his son Malcolm is the Prince of Cumberland, and therefore, the heir to the throne: “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step/On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, /For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;/Let not light see my black and deep desires:/The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be/Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” (I,iv,48-53) At this moment, Macbeth, realizing that they stand in the way of the witches’ prophecies, decides that both Duncan and Malcolm need to die for him to be king. As soon as Macbeth kills Duncan, he enters into a world of evil. Later in the play, Macbeth’s ambition becomes increasingly ruthless. He kills his best friend Banquo, and almost kills Banquo’s son, Fleance, because he believes they would stand in the way of his reign. The witches told Banquo “Thou shall get kings, though thou be none.” (I,iii,67) This means that Banquo himself would not be a king, but that his successors would be. Macbeth tries to prevent this by killing Banquo and his son Fleance.

    Read More

  • Essay On Macbeth Is A Victim Of Fate In Macbeth

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth’s decision that had the greatest impact on his life was his choice to murder Duncan. He makes this decision entirely on his own. Macbeth already was hoping something would happen to Duncan as soon as he names Malcom as the Prince of Cumberland (1.4.48-53). He is already thinking about the possibility of taking the throne by some form of intervention. Macbeth knows that when Malcom was named as the heir that he will not become king, but he decides to intervene without anyone convincing him to kill the king (1.4.48-50). It can be known that Macbeth was already high in the

    Read More

  • Macbeth: Predestination or Free Will?

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the context of the fictional story of Macbeth, it is hard to argue that fate was not controlling his life and actions. Many prophecies were made that seemed impossible at first, but each one came true and things happened as expected, though maybe not in the exact way or at the exact time that they were thought to. It is pretty clear throughout the narrative that the concept of fate prevails in the context of Macbeth, but once these beliefs are placed into the realm of the real world, there is a lot more room for argument. Things in real life are less certain, and there are many variables that can affect a person’s opinion on this matter. Ultimately, it comes down to a personal decision that everyone exercises their freedom of choice on to establish what they believe.

    Read More

  • Blind Ambition in Macbeth

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth’s blind ambition leads him to surrender to his dark desires that taunt him throughout the play. Macbeth is frequently tempted to result to the wrongful methods that seem to roam inside of him. In the beginning however Macbeth tends to ignore these desires and depends on chance. He declares “if chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir” (Shakespeare, act 1, scene 3, 143-144). This declaration by Macbeth shows his initial stand, which is reliant on fate and sin free. Yet as Macbeth’s character develops throughout the play, he moves farther from his dependence on chance and closer to his darker desires. Eventually his blind ambition to become king overp...

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Macbeth - Innocent and Naive Macbeth

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    instill in him the need to be King. Still, desire is not enough for Macbeth and he is thus driven "to seek certainty as his one objective. He wants certainty from the witches . . . at whatever cost" (Campbell 228). Macbeth, however, is not completely lost yet; honour and justice remain in him, and although it takes him some time to fully consider the consequences of the witches' words on him, he rejects his horrible thoughts of murder and postpones all action: "If chance will have me king, why,chance may crown me, / Without my stir" (I. iii.143-144). For the time being, Macbeth's true essence is in control, that of loyalty and honour.

    Read More

  • Fate In Oedipus: Free Will And Fate

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    What does it mean to have free will? From my perspective it is the ability to make your own decisions when confronted with problems in order to have an outcome you desire. According to dictionary.com it is “the doctrine that the conduct of human being expresses personal choice and is not simply determined by physical or divine forces.” Even with humans being capable of choosing their own destiny, is it possible to over come fate no matter how hard you try? There is a theory of life that is summarized as everything happens for a reason because that is your destiny. My confusion is, can free will come into play and change your destiny? Can you actually have the free will to change the outcome of what fate has in store for you. Free will and fate are continuously demonstrated in Oedipus the King the play, how ever only one brought Oedipus towards downfall and ultimately to his death. An analysis of Oedipus reveals that no matter how we try to avoid our fate, it will happen.

    Read More

More about Fate and How It Is Shown in Four Classic Novels

Open Document