Question

What role do you think the witches play in advancing the theme of fate versus free will? Write a strong thesis statement and support it with examples from the text.

Answer 1

Fate vs Free Will is one of the most oft used literary techniques in writing. It is never more evident than in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The major theme of the story Macbeth is whether or not the story is fueled by the free will of Macbeth, or by his fate. Are the events in Macbeth a result of his mentality and outlook on life, or were they going to happen no matter what? Almost every major event that takes place can be traced back to this question. It can be viewed in different ways, and most people have their own opinions. Dissecting this question is a part of what makes teaching Macbeth still have so much value to this day. But there is a clear answer to this question upon further dissection. The story of Macbeth is fueled by his free will, which he perceives to be a necessary part of achieving his fate.
There are many different outlooks on this question. Some view it as a story of fate, and some see it as a story of free will. This is seen in two different movie adaptations of Macbeth, the Polanski adaptation and the Wells adaptation. Polanski’s version focuses more on the natural world, and the decisions that Macbeth makes. He shows the characters’ psychological positions, and why it makes them do the things that they do. Welles’ is more surrealistic, and shows the characters as only being pawns in a fate that they have no control over. (Harper). Movie adaptations provide an interesting insight into how different people view the original text of the play.

Answer 2

The major theme of the story is whether or not the story is fueled by the free will of Macbeth, or by his fate. The witches play the role of fate in the story. There are three of them, which represent the three fates. They advance the story because they show Macbeth his own fate. Knowing his fate, in his opinion, he has to act on every decision because he has no choice. “From this moment / The very firstlings of my heart shall be / The firstlings of my hand.” He vows in the future to act on every impulse, and decides to attack Macduff's castle and kill anyone connected to him. The witches are the biggest influences on Macbeth’s ‘decisions’ because of the fate that they have shown him.