Final answer:
Shakespeare's Macbeth contemplates the prophecy of becoming king and his role in ensuring its realization, illustrating the theme of fate versus freewill. His inner conflict between moral judgment and ambition, along with the acknowledgment of the consequences of his actions, underscores this central theme.
Step-by-step explanation:
Shakespeare uses Macbeth's dagger speech to develop the theme of fate vs freewill through the character's inner conflict and indecision about committing regicide. In the famous soliloquy, Macbeth contemplates whether the fulfillment of the witches' prophecy to become king is destined, or if it requires his conscious action to make it a reality. The speech reveals his psychological struggle as he weighs his moral judgment against his ambition.
Macbeth laments, "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir." This highlights the tension between allowing fate to unfold and taking deliberate action to achieve the prophesied power. Similarly, when he says, "Being unprepared, Our will became the servant to defect; Which else should free have wrought," it suggests that Macbeth recognizes the possibility of exercising free will but feels restricted by his own character flaws and the situation's urgency.
The theme culminates with the acknowledgment of consequences, as mentioned in the lines, "we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor." Here, Shakespeare reflects on the notion that Macbeth's choices, though influenced by fate, are ultimately his own and come with repercussions, thereby weaving a complex narrative around destiny and self-determination.