Macbeth and Fate

Macbeth’s First Reaction to the Prophecy (Act 1, Scene 3)

• Macbeth initially believes fate will make him king without his intervention.
• "If fate wants me to be king, then fate can make it happen / Without me doing anything."
• Fate is personified, having the power to "crown" Macbeth.
• His ambition soon pushes him to take control of his own destiny through murder.

Macbeth Challenges Fate (Act 3, Scene 1)

• Macbeth actively tries to change fate by ordering Banquo’s murder, showing his belief in free will.
• "If things must be this way, then let fate fight me in a battle / To the very end!"
• Fate is compared to a warrior in combat, using a metaphor.

Macbeth’s Realization About Fate (Act 5, Scene 8)

• Macbeth trusts fate too much and believes he cannot die.
• "I have a protected life, and I cannot be killed / By anyone born from a woman."
• Overconfidence, resulting from misunderstanding the prophecy, leads to his death at Macduff’s hands.
• This is an example of Irony.

Macbeth on His Ambition (Act 1, Scene 7)

• Macbeth admits he has no good reason to kill Duncan, only ambition.
• "I have no motivation to drive me forward, except / My overpowering ambition, which jumps too high / And causes me to fall."
• Ambition is compared to a wild horse that leaps too far and crashes, using a metaphor.
• This foreshadows how his unchecked ambition will lead to his downfall.

Lady Macbeth Invokes Dark Powers (Act 1, Scene 5)

• Lady Macbeth asks spirits to remove her womanhood and fill her with cruelty to carry out Duncan’s murder.
• "Come, spirits that influence deadly thoughts, remove my womanhood, / And fill me from head to toe / With the worst cruelty possible!"
• Imagery is used to describe Lady Macbeth being filled with evil.
• This highlights her embrace of free will over morality.

The Witches’ Prophecy (Act 1, Scene 3)

• The witches plant the idea of kingship in Macbeth’s mind.
• "Greetings, Macbeth! Hail to you, Thane of Glamis! / Greetings, Macbeth! Hail to you, Thane of Cawdor! / Greetings, Macbeth! You will be king in the future!"
• Macbeth questions whether fate alone will make him king or if he should act to fulfill the prophecy himself.
• This is an example of dramatic irony.

Macbeth’s Guilt After Murder (Act 2, Scene 2)

• Macbeth is immediately haunted by guilt after killing Duncan.
• "I thought I heard a voice cry, ‘You will never sleep again! / Macbeth has murdered sleep—sleep, which is innocent and pure.’"
• Sleep is personified as an innocent victim that Macbeth has "murdered."
• Macbeth is not at peace with his actions, despite choosing to follow ambition.

Lady Macbeth’s Guilt (Act 5, Scene 1)

• Lady Macbeth now feels the weight of her crimes and realizes that guilt cannot be washed away.
• "What? Will my hands never be clean of this blood?"
• Her hands symbolize guilt, and the blood represents the murder of Duncan, which is symbolism.
• This marks her downfall, showing that free will comes with consequences.

Macbeth’s Torment (Act 3, Scene 2)

• Macbeth’s paranoia consumes him, and he is willing to kill anyone in his way.
• "Oh, my mind is full of scorpions, dear wife!"
• Macbeth’s thoughts are compared to scorpions, showing how poisonous and dangerous they have become, which is a metaphor.
• Ambition has turned into a toxic obsession.