The witches seem to be able to foretell the future. They can put temptation, in his way and influence Macbeth, but they cannot control his destiny. Macbeth creates his own misery when he is driven by his own sense of guilt and this is very evident when he says in act two scene two line sixty - sixty one “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” This causes him to become insecure as to the reasons for his actions which in turn cause him to commit more murders. He is fearful of Banquo because the kindom was promised to Banquos children but “The fear that will not let him sleep will die with Banquo.” He shows no hesitation in arranging Banquos murder and no remorse. The witches offer great enticement, but it is in the end, each individual’s decision to fall for the temptation, or to be strong enough to resist their captivation. The three Witches are only responsible for the introduction of these ideas and for further forming ideas in Macbeth head, but they are not responsible for his actions throughout the play. In fact some commentators suggest that the witches are really within Macbeth himself.
Lady Macbeth is shown early in the play as an ambitious woman with a single purpose. She can manipulate Macbeth easily. This is shown in the line "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear".
Although Macbeth has the final say in whether or not to go through with the initial killing, he loves Lady Macbeth and wants to make her happy. Lady Macbeth is the dominating individual in the relationship which is shown in her soliloquy in Act 1 Scene.
Before the speech that Lady Macbeth gives in act one scene five, Macbeth is resolved not to go through with the killing of the king. However, Lady Macbeth arranges the oaths Macbeth had made and she reproaches him for lack of courage and being less than a man by suggesting “When you durst do it; you were a man.” This then convinces Macbeth to commit regicide. It is like a child who is easily guided.
Everyone is responsible for their own destiny. This is an essential theme in this tragedy. Macbeth chooses to gamble with his soul and when he does this it is only him who chooses to lose it. He is responsible for everything he does and must accept total accountability for his actions. Macbeth is the one who made the final decision to carry out his actions. He made these final decisions and continued with the killings to cover that of King Duncan.
It seems that Lady Macbeth she can convince him to do anything as long as she pushes the right buttons. On the other hand, as the play progresses, and Duncan is killed, there is a reversal of natural order, and Macbeth becomes the dominating partner. She becomes pathetic and only a shadow of her former self.
Ambition plays a large role in this tragedy. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have "vaulting ambition" that drives them. Lady Macbeth's ambition drives her to manipulate Macbeth into committing regicide. Macbeth's fierce ambition is present before the witch's prophesies. He would never have thought seriously about killing Duncan without the witches. Yet the combination of both his ambitious nature and the initial prophesies leads him to kill the king. It is Lady Macbeth who states "Thou wouldst be great/ Art not without ambition." Macbeth states that it is "his besetting sin: I have no spur/ To prick the sides of my intent, but only/ Vaulting ambition." Macbeth's continued ambition is present in his wanting to have a succession of kings after him. Macbeth's ambition is deep within him and because of this; both the witches and Lady Macbeth are able to sway him to evil. It is this ambition that gets him into so much trouble initially.
However it is more realistic to believe that Macbeth was responsible for his own actions throughout the play and in the end it was he who made the final decisions.
