Is There Free Will In Shakespeare's Macbeth?

Is there such a thing as free will? Or is there free will with a set fate no matter what choices we make? Shakespeare’s Macbeth dwells upon this subject often. Three witches, who claim to know Macbeth’s future approach him. They hail him as thane of Glamis, Cawdor, and as King of Scotland. The audience knows that he is the thane of Glamis and that Cawdor will soon be given to him, but the idea of becoming king never occurred to him until this moment. So the question remaining is: Did the weird sisters plant this in his head and he acted with free will, or is it just fate and would he still become king if they never told him? Ambition is a strong desire to achieve something. For the common optimist this sounds satisfying; for Macbeth, ambition is much more than just desire. He craves power and …show more content…
What if the witches never told him that he would be king or what if Macbeth never killed Duncan? Ambition would not be as prominent in this situation. The seed would never have been planted and the blood bath would never have happened. Macbeth would not have gone into depression and Lady Macbeth would never have committed suicide. Maybe Duncan dies of natural causes, Malcolm and Donalbain could die on the battlefield of a new war, so Macbeth is left to take the crown. Macbeth and Fleance could have bonded over the years, especially that Lady Macbeth never bore children. As Banquo passes away, he asks Macbeth to take care of Fleance. With no blood heirs, Macbeth announces that Fleance will be his successor. This way no one is betrayed or haunted with hallucinations and guilt. But of course, this is not what Shakespeare is about. The story must be intriguing and have a twist that will be remembered for generations. Does free will really exist or are we all destined for a set outcome? The world may never know but we can appreciate the idea when we read something as emotionally and mentally complex as