Provide and explain five quotes from Macbeth that explore the idea of free will.

Textual evidence is always the strongest form
of proof in a literary analysis. When looking at the fate versus free will debate, we can see
many examples in that support one side or the other.

In
act 1, scene 2, the Captain is reporting on the battle:

But alls too weak;

For brave(well he deserves that
name),
Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel,
Which smoked with bloody
execution,
Like Valors minion, carved out his passage
Till he faced the
slave;
Which neer shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseamed him
from the nave to th chops,
And fixed his head upon our battlements.

Macbeth refused to give in to fate, to lose the battle just because
he was outnumbered. Instead, his sheer will to win carried him to the decisive victory reported
by the Captain.

In the next act,reveals her decision to ignore the signs of
fate and do what she wants and needs to do after King 's murder.

Infirm of purpose!
Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the
dead
Are but as pictures. Tis the eye of childhood
That fears a painted
devil.

Here, Lady Macbeth chastises her husband for
believing in anything except his own actions. She takes over, returning the murder weapons to
the proper place, despite her husband's fears.

As
the play reaches a , Macbeth shows that he understands the importance of acting on one's own
free will and principles rather than fearing the unknown when he admits his own fears of
:

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his
valor
To act in safety. There is none but he
Whose being I do fear; and under
him
My genius is rebuked.

By admitting that
Banquo's wisdom and reasoned actions are superior to his own, Macbeth realizes his own need to
kill him. Thus, the murder of Banquo arises from Macbeth's belief inand in Banquo's
abilities.

In act 4, Macbeth revisits the witches,
seeming to give in to these elements of fate, and discovers that his plan may be going awry. He
decides that he will attempt to over come fate by taking matters into his own hands.

The castle ofI will surprise,
Seize upon
Fife, give to th edge o th sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate
souls
That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;
This deed Ill do
before this purpose cool.
But no more sights!

Even though he is told that Macduff is fated to kill him, he chooses to attack his home
and kill his family. This decision does not actually recognize the prophecy's warning about
Macduff, but Macbeth ignores this part and dwells more on the situation of Macduff's birth.
Here, he is trying to choose both fate and free will at the same time.

In the final act, Macbeth seems to believe more in the prophecies of the
witches but does not understand their twisted logic. Thus, he allows his free will to be ruled
by them. When he is finally faced with Macduff, he finds out that he has been tricked and that
he will be killed by his former friend.

Accurs¨d be
that tongue that tells me so,
For it hath cowed my better part of man!
And be
these juggling fiends no more believed
That palter with us in a double
sense,
That keep the word of promise to our ear
And break it to our hope. Ill
not fight with thee.

Macbeth tries to avoid the
prophecy by refusing to fight. However, the reign of his own free will has ended. He is forced
to fight, and he loses, just as the witches predicted. While Macbeth attempts to act upon his
own free will, he allows the fateful promises of the witches to lead him to his death.

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