Final answer:
Shakespeare's Macbeth deliberates the power of fate versus free will, with Macbeth initially contemplating a fateful rise to power yet ultimately acting on his own ambitions, showing both forces at play.
Step-by-step explanation:
The debate of fate versus free will is central to William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The titular character grapples with prophecies and his own choices, questioning whether his rise to power is preordained or if he has the autonomy to affect his own destiny. When Macbeth says, "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir," he contemplates letting fate lead the way. However, as the play progresses, Macbeth increasingly takes matters into his own hands, suggesting a belief in free will - yet he also seems a victim of fate, propelled by the witches' prophecies and his wife's ambitions. Textual evidence such as "Being unprepared, Our will became the servant to defect" shows Macbeth acknowledging that flaws in his character, namely ambition and indecision, are his undoing. Thus, Shakespeare illustrates that while fate sets the stage, it is ultimately Macbeth's actions, spurred by his free will, that seal his tragic end.