The power of fate versus free will was a debate in Shakespearean times, and still is today. Arguments can be made from William Shakespeare's Macbeth that Macbeth was indeed controlled by the fate predicted by the witches, or that Macbeth retained his free will throughout his tragedy and demise. Although it seems that the characters in Shakespeare's Macbeth are predestined by their destiny, their ability to alter their destiny through their own decision-making shows the superiority of free will over fate. The free will of Shakespeare's Macbeth manifests itself through the characters' rash decisions. to control their lives, and is at work throughout much of this tragedy. After learning that he had been given the title of Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth decides to take his "destiny" into his own hands and ensure that the rest of his prophecy will come sooner than originally planned, without conflict from the part of Banquo, exercising the power of free will over destiny. . Satisfied with his predestined destiny, Macbeth believes that “if chance makes him king, why can chance crown him without [his] emotion” (I.iii.57-59). This theory of Macbeth quickly changes once Lady Macbeth convinces him that he cannot do nothing and hope for power. As Macbeth learns that he is not the next king, the lust for power arises in his mind and is revealed when he says, "Stars, hide your fires." / Let not the light see my dark and deep desires” (I.iv.50-51). Free will prevails again when Lady Macbeth states that "fate and metaphysical help seem / to have the crown" (Iv29-30), showing that fate will not be the deciding factor in Lady and Macbeth's lives, but only in their lives. actions can make Macbeth the king. Before Lady Macbeth and Macbe... middle of paper ... the illusion he creates from his own decision to follow the witches' words, and chooses to create a path of evil for himself. In terms of fate and magical aspects in Macbeth, there is a lack of solid evidence proving that witches play a role in any type of magic or fate-altering aspects. Macbeth made his own decisions and chose his own path of chaos and evil, blaming its repercussions on everyone, including himself. Even though the tragedy of Macbeth ends, Shakespeare never gives an answer to the question of whether Macbeth is controlled by fate. or if his disappearance was by his own hand. This is one of the reasons why this particular piece interests us today. William Shakespeare kept these themes open to interpretation, so that our generation and those after us can insert their new problems into the text and make the problems of Macbeth their own..