Macbeth

4 Pages 913 Words

Macbeth Essay

In Macbeth, a play by William Shakespeare, the character Macbeth runs into many misfortunes that bring him to a terrible end. Three witches first introduce him to many strange and curious prophecies. Then his controlling wife, Lady Macbeth, pushes him to commit crimes that not even God could forgive. In the end though, Macbeth is the true master of his own destiny when he believes the prophecies that the witches feed him, when he lets Lady Macbeth control him, and then when he betrays his friends and becomes disloyal.
Macbeth is the master of his own destiny when he believes all of the witches prophecies. After a long and gruesome war, Macbeth and Banquo are traveling home together and they come across three witches who give them three prophecies. The prophecies state that Macbeth will first become Thane of Cawdor, then he will be king, and then they state that Banquo’s sons will be king. Then not even a few minutes later the first prophecy given to Macbeth comes true. “He bade me from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor... For it is thine” (335,105). The king named Macbeth Thane of Cawdor for all his good deeds in war. This started Macbeth thinking that his second prophecy and Banquo’s prophecy might come true. “Glamis and Thane of Cawdor! The greatest is behind... Do you not hope your children shall be kings when those that gave the Thane of Cawdor to me promised no less to them” (335,117). Thinking that these prophecies may come true will later lead Macbeth to do many horrible deeds.
Macbeth is the master of his own destiny when he allows Lady Macbeth to control him and attack his ego. Macbeth sends word to his wife as soon as his first prophecy comes true, explaining all that has happened to him. Lady Macbeth immediately devises a plan to kill King Duncan so that her husband can become king. “Be the serpent under’t. He that’s coming must be provided for: and you shall put this ni...