A controversial question asked by many is “can human beings really have free will? Or do people influence our so called ‘free will’? ” This question is brought up in Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in 1606, is a play about good versus evil as well as power. I will be talking about how the witches aren’t the most powerful characters in the play and aren’t the catalyst to all of Macbeth’s crimes by using the witches, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself. The witches and Lady Macbeth are influences to Macbeth’s acts, but Macbeth himself is the reason that the crimes could have happened.
The three witches in Macbeth are not the most powerful characters in the play, nor are they the catalyst to all Macbeth’s crimes. At first glance, it seem …show more content…
The Elizabethan life for men was one of power, they all the authority and made all the decisions, they expected to be obeyed and were superior to women. Lady Macbeth wants power, so by Macbeth becoming King she can achieve that power. Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth in different ways to make him commit evil crimes. Lady Macbeth knew how to get to her husband which made it easy for her to get him to obey her, instead of the other way around. By using the gender roles of the time to influence her husband, Lady Macbeth was able to get him to murder Duncan. To be precise, one sentence influenced him due to his huge ego, Lady Macbeth only had to say 'When you durst to do it, then you were a man;’ (Act 1 Scene 7 Line 54) to get him to prove his manhood by murdering Duncan. Another way that Lady Macbeth influences Macbeth in his crimes is by reminding Macbeth how far off the path of happiness he is. As he progresses through the moral bankruptcy of his actions, she keeps telling him how unhappy he is and the only way to try and reach his ambitions is to continue down the path he is going. Lady Macbeth knows that Macbeth finds the topic of his infertility upsetting and uses it to her advantage. She knows that he is adamant on having a family, so she torments him in a way to make him feel bad about not being able to give her a child. She does this so he will give into what she is asking. For …show more content…
The witches can not be the most powerful characters in the play or the catalyst to all of Macbeth’s crimes because he has the power to his free will to decide what he does. The witches did not force him to do anything, they only influenced what he did by bringing out his “dark side” and true ambitions. “And Fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, show'd like a rebel's whore: But all's too weak: for brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel, which smoked with bloody execution,” (Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 16-20) Here the Captain is saying that Macbeth should have been killed in battle but he was stronger than his fate is. This means that Macbeth has no one to blame but himself for his own death, actions and crimes. Macbeth can not blame anyone else nor can the witches or Lady Macbeth be to blame when he has the ultimate power to do what he chooses. Another example is that the witches never say anything to Macbeth about murdering Duncan. When Macbeth first hears the prophesy, his thoughts turn to "murder" all on their own. This feels us that somewhere along the line he had though about it or had an idea because he turned to it first. He didn't even want to wait and see what would happen, he decides to be brutal and kill the nobel king. “The only person you are destined to become is he person you decide to
The three witches in Macbeth are not the most powerful characters in the play, nor are they the catalyst to all Macbeth’s crimes. At first glance, it seem …show more content…
The Elizabethan life for men was one of power, they all the authority and made all the decisions, they expected to be obeyed and were superior to women. Lady Macbeth wants power, so by Macbeth becoming King she can achieve that power. Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth in different ways to make him commit evil crimes. Lady Macbeth knew how to get to her husband which made it easy for her to get him to obey her, instead of the other way around. By using the gender roles of the time to influence her husband, Lady Macbeth was able to get him to murder Duncan. To be precise, one sentence influenced him due to his huge ego, Lady Macbeth only had to say 'When you durst to do it, then you were a man;’ (Act 1 Scene 7 Line 54) to get him to prove his manhood by murdering Duncan. Another way that Lady Macbeth influences Macbeth in his crimes is by reminding Macbeth how far off the path of happiness he is. As he progresses through the moral bankruptcy of his actions, she keeps telling him how unhappy he is and the only way to try and reach his ambitions is to continue down the path he is going. Lady Macbeth knows that Macbeth finds the topic of his infertility upsetting and uses it to her advantage. She knows that he is adamant on having a family, so she torments him in a way to make him feel bad about not being able to give her a child. She does this so he will give into what she is asking. For …show more content…
The witches can not be the most powerful characters in the play or the catalyst to all of Macbeth’s crimes because he has the power to his free will to decide what he does. The witches did not force him to do anything, they only influenced what he did by bringing out his “dark side” and true ambitions. “And Fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, show'd like a rebel's whore: But all's too weak: for brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel, which smoked with bloody execution,” (Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 16-20) Here the Captain is saying that Macbeth should have been killed in battle but he was stronger than his fate is. This means that Macbeth has no one to blame but himself for his own death, actions and crimes. Macbeth can not blame anyone else nor can the witches or Lady Macbeth be to blame when he has the ultimate power to do what he chooses. Another example is that the witches never say anything to Macbeth about murdering Duncan. When Macbeth first hears the prophesy, his thoughts turn to "murder" all on their own. This feels us that somewhere along the line he had though about it or had an idea because he turned to it first. He didn't even want to wait and see what would happen, he decides to be brutal and kill the nobel king. “The only person you are destined to become is he person you decide to