Does Macbeth illustrate that fate controls our lives or we control fate?

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English: GCSE Coursework                Macbeth

Does Macbeth illustrate that fate controls our lives or we control fate?

The story of Macbeth is one that contains a two sided illustration in it. On one hand, it is Macbeth who determines his own fate and on the other hand ironically, fate determines his doom.

Tragedy to the ancient Greeks included fate or the gods presenting man with an unavoidable destiny. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare's witches give voice to Macbeth's destiny. The blending of right and wrong, good and evil, and a general equivocal position begins with the ominous appearance of the witches in Act I, Scene 1 of the play. For Shakespeare they serve the role of the Greek gods in ancient tragedy. With their comments "the battle's lost and won" (1.1.4) and "Fair is foul and foul is fair" (1.1.11), we are prepared for the equivocal uneasiness that pervades the entire work. Banquo shows perceptive insight into the role the witches serve and their potential affecting of the lives of both he and Macbeth when he says:

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But 'tis strange;
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray 's
In deepest consequence. (1.3.123-126)

Afterwards Duncan proceeds to allow the new thane of Cawdor, Macbeth, to deceive him at the cost of Duncan's life and cause what the first thane of Cawdor had lost (the uprising against the king) to be won by Macbeth. We again encounter double meanings when Angus speaking of the first thane of Cawdor says

"But treasons capital, confess'd and prov'd

Have overthrown him." (1.3.115-116)

Examples like these pervade the ...

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