Beowulf Essay. Gary Choi. P4. Asher

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth man’s perception of fate affects man’s actions. In a carefully organized essay discuss how Shakespeare uses the device of characterization to clarify this perception and drive the action forward.

Does man control his fate? Or is it the opposite? In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows that fate controls man, or at it least affects his actions in unseen ways. Using the characterization, he shows how fate dictates the characters; he has Macbeth act according to fate despite his character. Because of this, Shakespeare can advance the plot because no matter a character’s intentions or disposition, he will do what certain fates dictate, advancing the plot according to the wishes of the author who controls fate in his story.

In the beginning, Macbeth is seen as a loyal knight. He is brave and heroic, the future held so much for him even if he didn’t kill the king. In fact, he was incredibly reluctant to kill the king before he did so and filled with extreme paranoia afterwards. Such shows his quality as someone who follows rather than one who should lead. Yet, because he was mislead by a seemingly absolute fate of being thane and then king, he decided to go through with the murder. Then he became a stubborn tyrant once he found out he cannot die unless some improbable events occurred, when Birnam woods moved and only be one who was not of woman born. Even his wife demands to be “unsexed”, to follow her husband’s and decidedly her own fate. In this aspect, Shakespeare shows that fate has a very powerful influence on man’s actions, even against his own nature.

Then Shakespeare also uses characterization to drive the action forward. His wife was characterized to be the catalyst to drive Macbeth to committing murder. And this pushes the plot and action forward. She also pushes Macbeth to plot the assassination of Banquo and his son. The author changes the character of Macbeth into that of a tyrant, which in effect is inviting everyone to attack him. Through the characterization of people like Macbeth and his wife, the conflict is driven forward, along with the plot and action.

Most people tend to believe that they control fate, but when a predetermined fate proves itself to be true, it is hard not to yield to fate, especially when it proves itself more than once. Once Macbeth becomes king, he takes the word of the witches and loses the battle with Macduff once they predicted his defeat. It is through the characterization of the characters that spur these actions and form the perception that fate controls us. Once we submit to fate, our actions are easily affected by it.