THE ROLE OF FATE IN SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH: FREE WILL VS PREDESTINATION

Abstract

The unconditional acceptance of the witches' prophecies causes Macbeth to commit fatal errors. His misconception about the invulnerable power of the second prophecy makes him believe that no enemy can threaten him until he learns that Macduff was born via cesarean section. Under the belief that he is "untouchable," Macbeth receives a shock when he discovers that Macduff did not come into existence through birth from a woman, challenging his false sense of security (Bloom, 2007). In this moment, fate reveals its unpredictable nature and exposes the dangerous illusion of controlling destiny.

Fate, however, is only a partial factor in Macbeth’s downfall. His flawed interpretation of the witches' predictions contributes significantly to his tragic end. As L.C. Knights suggests, the witches offer Macbeth possibilities rather than certainties, and it is his own ambition and decisions that activate the tragic chain of events (Knights, 1933). Macbeth's choice to embrace the visions without skepticism leads him to destructive actions driven more by internal desire than external compulsion. The tragedy thus illustrates how fate, when misunderstood or manipulated, can become a dangerous tool for justifying unethical behavior. Macbeth fails to recognize that individual choices—rather than supernatural design—ultimately determine his destiny, a misunderstanding that costs him his life (Kott, 1967; French, 1985).