Download Macbeth`s Real Tragedy In Shakespeare`s tragedy, Macbeth, fate is

Annika Rollock
2.10.11
English – Mrs. Lunger
Fate: Macbeth’s Real Tragedy
In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, fate is arguably the leading factor in the rise
and fall of the story’s central figure, Macbeth. Although this theme is one of the main
elements of the play, Shakespeare asks the question: What is fate? In the play, fate can be
portrayed as two things. It can be shown as external influences on a person like Macbeth,
but also the internal forces within that person. In Macbeth, Shakespeare ultimately
portrays fate as Macbeth’s own internal choices as the cause of his demise, rather than his
external influences, Lady Macbeth and the Weird Sisters.
In the beginning of the play, the Weird Sisters foresee Macbeth’s future as king.
However, if they had never told Macbeth that he “shalt be King hereafter”(i.iii.53), it was
unlikely that Macbeth would ever have had the notion to kill Duncan. Ultimately, they
are to blame for the corruption of the one-time hero, Macbeth. At first, he held no belief
in the words of the Weird Sisters. Right after he hears the prophecy, Macbeth and his
friend Banquo continue to discuss it. Macbeth jokes, “Your children shall be kings”
(i.iii.90). The two men laugh and joke at what the strange women predicted for both of
them, neither of them believing it. However, shortly after, Macbeth is hailed by a noble
named Ross. Ross tells him, “He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor…”
(i.iii.110). This line confirms the witches’ prophecy—that Macbeth would then earn the
title, Thane of Cawdor. This recent discovery gave Macbeth proof of what the Weird
Sisters told him; thus, Macbeth began searching for a way to become king. Happy now to
believe the prophecy, Macbeth enthuses over the news with Banquo, who remains
skeptical. Macbeth is seemingly excited: “Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the
swelling act” (i.iii.140). He begins to get carried away in delusions of grandeur; however,
he also says, “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix
my hair” (i.iii.147). Despite his apprehension here, Macbeth begins an obsession with
destiny and fate that will ultimately lead to his demise. It is the prophecy itself that causes
Macbeth to strive to fulfill it; without the prediction, the horrible seed of ambition would
have never been planted in our hero’s mind.
Although the blame can easily be passed onto the Weird Sisters, Lady Macbeth is
equally responsible for warping Macbeth’s fate and guiding his decisions. Despite his
growing excitement over the prophecy, Macbeth keeps his rational thought before talking
to his wife: “If chance will have me King, why chance may crown me without my stir”
(i.iii.155). This quotation shows that Macbeth is willing to sit back and let ‘chance,’ or
unguided fate, decide his future. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, decides right away
that Macbeth must take matters into his own hands. She confronts him angrily, saying:
“What beast was’t then / that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it,
then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more
the man” (i.vii.52). She threatens him, saying that if he does not act, he will be a
coward—not a “man.” This causes conflicting feelings within Macbeth, and eventually
causes him to pursue his own fate. Macbeth feels that if he goes through with the murder,
he will prove himself to “be so much more the man.” He agrees with his wife, stating: “I
dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none” (i.vii.50). Macbeth
states here that he will do everything to prove that he is man, but he will do nothing more.
This changes over time as Lady Macbeth continuously badgers him, until finally Macbeth
commits the highest treason: murdering his own King in his sleep.
Although both of these characters played a role in Macbeth’s fate, the ultimate
factor to blame for his demise is nothing more than his own self. Macbeth’s traits, such
as being impatient, ignorant, quick to anger, and ambitious, lit the way down every wrong
path he chose. Macbeth knows his faults: “I have no spur…only vaulting ambition, which
o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other—” (i.vii.25-28). Despite this knowledge, the
character goes on to murder Duncan a scene later. This is how Shakespeare portrays fate
in the play, not by outside guidance, but through a character’s own choices. Another
instance when Macbeth’s traits guide his fate is when Duncan announces that his son
Malcolm will be the next heir, or “Prince of Cumberland”(i.iv.46). Macbeth immediately
assumes that his only choice was to take action. Macbeth states, “Prince of
Cumberland—that is a step on which I must fall down or else o’erleap, for in my way it
lies”(i.v.56). Macbeth becomes paranoid, thinking that he must do everything possible to
fulfill his own destiny. If he had stopped to think about fate for a moment, perhaps he
would have realized that his fate would eventually come to him if he stayed on the path
he was on. However, Macbeth’s disposition prevents this insight and instead causes him
to act impulsively. Besides letting flaws control his decisions, Macbeth decided to ignore
his moral conscience. The real tragedy of Macbeth was that our fallen hero didn’t have
the morality to stand up and do the right thing. As early as act II, Macbeth recognizes his
wrongdoing: “I am afraid to think what I have done…” (ii.ii.61). Nevertheless, he goes
on to murder Banquo and the entire family of Macduff. His fate is caused by nothing
more than his decisions and emotions, which caused him to readily follow both the Weird
Sisters and his wife, Lady Macbeth.
Shakespeare hints at many different causes of Macbeth’s death throughout the
play. He points the finger at the Weird Sisters, the impending supernatural, and the wrath
of Lady Macbeth, but the real cause of Macbeth’s demise is something much simpler and
blatant—his own decisions. Although fate can easily be summed up as outside influence
on someone’s decisions, ultimately it is the choices that occur within a person like
Macbeth that decide fate.