macbeth fate thesis statement

William Shakespeare

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From the moment the weird sisters tell Macbeth and Banquo their prophecies, both the characters and the audience are forced to wonder about fate. Is it real? Is action necessary to make it come to pass, or will the prophecy come true no matter what one does? Different characters answer these questions in different ways at different times, and the final answers are ambiguous—as fate always is.

Unlike Banquo, Macbeth acts: he kills Duncan . Macbeth tries to master fate, to make fate conform to exactly what he wants. But, of course, fate doesn't work that way. By trying to master fate once, Macbeth puts himself in the position of having to master fate always. At every instant, he has to struggle against those parts of the witches' prophecies that don't favor him. Ultimately, Macbeth becomes so obsessed with his fate that he becomes delusional: he becomes unable to see the half-truths behind the witches' prophecies. By trying to master fate, he brings himself to ruin.

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Fate Vs Free Will in Macbeth

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

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Argument Topics in Macbeth on Fate & Free Will

"Macbeth" by William Shakespeare addresses the major theme of fate versus free will. Shakespeare doesn't take a strong stance either way and wants the audience to contemplate whether the three witches determine Macbeth's outcome or whether Macbeth's selfish motives and his wife's headstrong ambition lead to their ultimate ruin. Use dialogue, important scenes and character interactions to support your argument.

Fate: Believability of the Witches

Examine the witches' language and supernatural abilities to determine if they have the power to seal Macbeth's fate. Consider whether their strange appearance, mysterious potions and disconcerting rhythmic speech are designed to manipulate and intimidate Macbeth or if they genuinely have the spiritual authority to determine his destiny.

Verify the accuracy of events and evaluate the credibility of their predictions: Duncan's death, Macbeth's ascension, Banquo's death and Macduff's final revenge. '},{'content':'Consider the weird sisters' connection to Hecate, the Greek goddess of witchcraft. Argue the credibility, believability and authenticity of the witches if you think fate is to blame for Macbeth's tragic ending.

Fate: Macbeth's Inability to Change the Future

Focus on Macbeth's inability to change the future -- according to the witches' predictions -- if you argue for "fate." Explain that Macbeth's waning conscience and short bursts of grief aren't powerful enough to overcome what the gods set in motion. Stress Macduff's involvement in Macbeth's death, just as the witches prophesied.

There are many ways Macbeth could have died along the treacherous journey. His tragic ending at the hands of Macduff -- a man who fled to England to escape his own death -- seems unlikely without fate's involvement in bringing them back together again for one final scene.

Free Will: Macbeth's Lust for Power

Support the free-will argument by stressing Macbeth's undeniable lust for power and his willingness to go to extreme measures to gain and secure the throne. For example, Macbeth premeditated Duncan's murder and had time to back out before killing him. If the murder was ordained by fate, Macbeth wouldn't have experienced an inner struggle -- self-doubt, fear, guilt, grief and anguish -- before committing the crime.

Even if the witches empowered Macbeth, their predictions were merely self-fulfilling prophesies. Ultimately, he made conscious decisions to murder Duncan, Banquo and Macduff's family, despite his nagging conscience.

Free Will: Lady Macbeth's Powerful Influence

Discuss Lady Macbeth's role in Macbeth's decision-making process as a reason to argue for free will. Lady Macbeth -- a mere human with a weak stomach and a guilt-ridden conscience -- had just as much of a negative effect on Macbeth as the witches did. She concocted the original plan to kill Duncan and persuaded Macbeth to follow through, even when he momentarily lost his courage. She worried that he wouldn't have the backbone to commit horrible crimes to steal the throne.

The witches might have put the thought in Macbeth's head with their spellbinding, persuasive tactics, but Lady Macbeth put the plans to action. Macbeth willfully followed suit.

• PBS: Macbeth Synopsis
• Royal Shakespeare Company: Macbeth -- Full Synopsis
• No Sweat Shakespeare: Macbeth Play -- Overview & Resources
• Folger Shakespeare Library: Macbeth
• Boise State: Macbeth -- Part B Study the Play
• Utah Shakespeare Festival: Mabeth and the Nature of Evil; Elaine Pilkington
• Folger Shakespeare Library: Lady Macbeth

As curriculum developer and educator, Kristine Tucker has enjoyed the plethora of English assignments she's read (and graded!) over the years. Her experiences as vice-president of an energy consulting firm have given her the opportunity to explore business writing and HR. Tucker has a BA and holds Ohio teaching credentials.

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• How to Write a Good Expository Essay About Macbeth

Table of contents:

Introduction and thesis

Body paragraphs.

If you want to write an expository essay about the play Macbeth and want to know how to start, it’s important to get your statement of purpose, or thesis, figured out first. An expository essay, remember, is based on factual information, endeavouring to explain to the reader something they might not know already.

First, start with an introduction, including a hook straight away to get your readers’ attention. Then you can approach your topic in one of five different ways: problem/solution, comparison, how-to, descriptive, and cause/effect. At this point you should write a thesis statement, or statement of purpose, explaining the main topic or point of your essay.

Here are a few samples of ideas for thesis statements about Macbeth.

Thesis idea 1: Macbeth’s character is the example of a tragic hero, someone who rises to the top and then because of his own fatal flaws, dooms himself to failure and death.

Thesis idea 2: Between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, she’s the one who is truly evil, as her ambition pushes Macbeth to go far beyond his own moral judgement.

Thesis idea 3: The themes of Macbeth in the full play include ambition, pride, betrayal, guilt, and the difference between appearances and reality.

Thesis idea 4: The three witches predict Macbeth’s future, but is that future his fate, or did his own free will play a part?

Thesis idea 5: When Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane, a prophecy is fulfilled, but Macbeth’s assumptions have doomed him.

As you move on into the body of your expository essay, each new paragraph should serve as a new point you are making, with the evidence to back your point in the paragraph itself. You should have at least three points in the essay body, and it’s a good idea to start by sitting down to outline the structure of your essay before you even begin writing it.

For example, if you are talking about the points in the play where free will contends with fate, you might talk about Macbeth’s decision to kill Duncan in one paragraph, and the fulfilment of the prediction about Macbeth being killed by someone ‘not born of woman’ in another, and then Macbeth’s own beliefs and assumptions about what Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane means, and how that itself plays a part in his downfall, in yet another.

As you finish making the points you’ve previously outlined, it’s time to start thinking about a conclusion. To conclude your essay, briefly revisit all the points you’ve made, and then restate your thesis demonstrating what you’ve learned. If the thesis statement at the beginning of the essay is a question, then this should be the answer.

For instance, a conclusion to the thesis above about fate versus free will might look like: “Both fate and Macbeth’s own choices play a part in his rise to kingship and his downfall. As he consistently makes bad choices, the more negative parts of his fate begin to take over. He is truly doomed by his own hand, and the fate that was foretold for him could have been avoided if he’d chosen otherwise.”

Now you have the tools to write a great expository essay about Macbeth, so think about what aspect of the play captures your attention the most, and write about that. 

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The Theme of Fate in Macbeth

This essay will explore the theme of fate in “Macbeth.” It will discuss how the concept of fate drives the characters’ actions, influences the plot, and contributes to the play’s tragic elements. On PapersOwl, there’s also a selection of free essay templates associated with Free Will.

How it works

Fate and free will is a very central topic in Macbeth? , a play by shakespeare. We are going to look at alot of questions revolving around this topic . Such as, what does fate and free will even mean ? Do they come together as a whole or are they two different things? Also looking at the evidence of who is responisible for the tradgedy that is Macbeth . You’ll also find that Macbeth follows up more on free will then fate. All these questions and many more will be answered in this essay.

Macbeth is a Shakespearean play that navigates ideas of fate and free will. Some might argue that Macbeth’s fate is to be a traitor and a King. However, this being his fate it could’ve happened naturally. However, in his case he sped up the process and killed Duncan. He’s doing so to obtain the crown sooner. Fate and free will have a lot in common. Free will determines how one will meet their fate. This was shown in Act 1 ; And Fortune, on his damned quarral smiling, show’d like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak; For brave Macbeth; Disdaining Fortune , with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution?. This is his captain speaking, stating here that in the battle Macbeth should have died. However, captain says Macbeth is strong and outrules his fate . Thus, being the reason he didn’t die like he should’ve. Another question that remains ; Is Macbeth an agent of his own free will or is he an agent of fate.

In the beginning of the play it appears as though Macbeth is following his destiny. However, as time comes around it appears he follows up on free will. This showing; I am settles, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest showe; false face must hide what the false heart doth know?. Macbeth has chosen to deal with things on his own based on his free will. Fate and free will play a major role in this shakespearean play . However, one question still remains; who or what is responsible for the tragedy is Macbeth’s life?

Macbeth puts himself in a lot of positions. In all the evidence given one might say Macbeth is responsible for the tragedy that is his life. His mindset it very wicked, selfish, and self centered. He only cares about himself and what he wants . In the beggining he’s portrayed as a brave character but as the play moves along we can see he’s very self-centered and will harm anyone who gets in the way of his fate. It states, Oh yet I do repent me of my fury / that i did kill them?. Macbeth is his own enemy. After killing Duncan, he also kills the guard. Thus, anyone or anything that could possibly could get in the way.

Macbeth is a self- centered character. He only cares about himself and what benefits him and helps him the most. Instead of waiting on his fate he put things in action. Thats where he used alot of his free will. He makes all these decisions that ultimatley lead to to his own tradgedy. This shows that decisions were completley to benefit his own.

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Opinion Karmic justice: Women might seal Trump’s fate in New York trial

Hope Hicks and Stormy Daniels supplied critical testimony.

For months, legal gurus have identified Michael Cohen as the key witness in the falsification-of-business-documents case against his ex-boss, former president Donald Trump . While Cohen’s expected testimony this week remains an important part of the prosecutors’ case, the critical testimony might have happened already. That the arguably damning evidence came from two women, Hope Hicks and Stormy Daniels, should not be lost on Americans who have watched him abuse , defame , insult and oppress women.

Former Trump employee Hicks supplied two essential components of the district attorney’s case. First, she vividly described the terror that swept through the 2016 Trump campaign in the wake of the “Access Hollywood” tape. That made it essential for the campaign to avoid another humiliating sexual revelation — and to silence women who had damaging stories to tell. The campaign-related motive for the hush money coverup is essential to prove that Trump’s conduct was in furtherance of other crimes (e.g., violating campaign finance laws), thereby making the charges felonies.

Second, Hicks hammered home the purpose of the hush money coverup. She related that when word of the payments to Daniels later emerged, “Mr. Trump’s opinion was it was better to be dealing with it now and that it would have been bad to have that story come out before the election.” She helped undercut Trump’s counsel, who have argued any hush money payments were to protect Melania Trump (from finding out her husband allegedly had sex with a porn star just months after the birth of Barron Trump). Her nervousness and tears bolstered her credibility, revealing the emotional toll from serving up testimony implicating her ex-boss.

If Hicks’s testimony was harmful to Trump, Daniels’s account and demeanor on the stand proved devastating. The strongest part of her testimony might have come on cross-examination, when she proved savvy, candid, funny and utterly believable. “Daniels’ testimony has shown them exactly what the public would have heard and who they would have heard it from — had Trump not paid her off,” former prosecutor Joyce White Vance wrote . “Is it believable that, especially in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape, Trump would have been willing to keep it from coming out even at this price? Absolutely.”

Daniels’s testimony was all the more important because in their opening argument Trump’s counsel promised to show that Daniels was lying . Though the truth or falsity of her account is not an essential part of the charges, Trump insisted her credibility be put front and center. His lawyers insisted her story was false. Trump might regret having elevated her. In a credibility contest between Daniels and Trump, the jury almost certainly would side with Daniels. (We don’t yet know whether Trump will testify, but given Daniels’s credibility and the matters the prosecutors can use on cross-examination , he might understandably be afraid to get on the stand. No doubt his attorneys would prefer he not.)

As if her testimony to that point in the trial had not been enough, Daniels also got into evidence Trump’s admission in a civil case that he repaid Cohen. (In deposition, Trump essentially confessed to making Cohen whole after setting up a mechanism to disguise hush money payments.)

Daniels left little doubt she had a sexual encounter with Trump and scored points with the jury (even catching Trump’s lawyer misrepresenting testimony ). Her testimony “also backed Michael Cohen up on a wide array of other facts, such as confirming the delay in payment that Cohen will testify was attributable to Trump’s desire to stall until after the election,” Norm Eisen, author of “ Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial ,” tells me.

Coupled with Hicks’s testimony (“that Trump admitted knowing about the payment after the fact; that she didn’t believe his claim that he was not involved in it; and that he also embraced the core thesis of Cohen’s whole effort on his behalf: that it was better that this did not come out before the election”), Eisen argues, most elements of the crime the district attorney must prove have been put into evidence.

Cohen, in other words, is not essential to prove the payment of the hush money or its purpose. He nevertheless likely will provide nuggets tying Trump to the plot. Those might include Trump’s assent to “grossing up” Cohen’s reimbursements for the payments; the untenability of anyone in the Trump organization going “rogue”; and the lack of any “retainer” agreement and Trump’s instruction to delay making the payments to Daniels (until after the election). Not all these elements are critical to the case, but the jury surely would expect to hear from Cohen.

In sum, Hicks and Daniels (along with David Pecker, who provided a compelling overview of the whole “catch and kill” scheme) did much of the heavy lifting for Cohen. They , not he, have boxed in Trump. He merely needs to perform adequately to seal Trump’s fate.

Prosecutors have not completed their case, Trump’s counsel has yet to put on their case, and closing arguments might not occur for weeks. However, Trump is much closer to conviction than he was before the women’s testimony. If Trump is convicted, much of the credit will go to two steely and candid women brave enough to pull back the curtain on Trump’s escapades.