Macbeth Eric Horng P4

In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses characterization to show how man's perception of fate affects man's actions. This effect is seen in both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, who herald the witches' prophecies to be the truth and act accordingly to them, so that the prophecies actually come true.
Upon the revelation that the witches' prophecy that Macbeth would become the Thane of Cawdor had come true, Macbeth believes that the witches speak only the truth. Because of his character, he takes the witches' words as absolute truth. As the play progresses, Macbeth grows more and more arrogant since he has the protection of the witches' prophecies. Due to their divination such "no one of woman born shall harm Macbeth" and "Macbeth shall never be vanquished until Great Birnam Wood moves on Dunsinane Hill," he believes that these are ludicrous and will never come true. He comes extremely arrogant, and as a result, he thinks himself invincible. As such, he does not consider his death a possibility, and is killed by Macduff, who was both untimely ripped from his mother's womb and used the branches of the Dunsinane Hill to move his army. Macbeth's arrogant and narrow-minded character are what ultimately lead to his death.
Another casualty of fate, Lady Macbeth's character i what leads her to performs such a drastic action as planning to kill King Duncan. After reading Macbeth's letter, she, as a highly ambitious woman willing to delve to inhuman solutions to achieve greatness, develops a plan to kill Duncan to make Macbeth king so that she could be Queen. Had she not possessed such a dangerous motivation, she might have herself and her husband from their early deaths and perhaps even have naturally become Queen. Unfortunately, Lady Macbeth was not without ambition and motivation, and her character led her to perform actions specifically for the purpose of advancing herself to the level of the promised prophecy.
The characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are what caused to act in such a way to make the prophecies come true. Although they had different reasons for the their actions throughout the play, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth met their ends as direct result of their actions. It only goes to show the enormous effect that one's perception of fate can have on one's actions; and through those, one's life.