To decide if the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is a tragedy of character or a tragedy of fate it is helpful to understand the definitions or implications of some of the terms as well as understand a little about the circumstances surrounding the creation of the play. First, a tragedy is an accident or mishap that causes personal suffering. Fate is an incident that is going to happen regardless of the actions or circumstances preceding or surrounding the event or people involved. Character defines a person by their personality, actions and values.
Knowing how fate and character relate as well as being familiar with the play Macbeth can make deciding the nature of the tragedy very difficult. Next, it might be helpful to investigate the reason that Shakespeare wrote the play. The play was written as a gift for royalty. The audience was a known lover of supernatural outcomes and witchcraft. This little known fact, gives a hint as to the fact that Macbeth is in fact a tragedy of fate or destiny. Shakespeare wrote Macbeth using mainly the witches as a tragedy of destiny. The witches set the tragedy in action by determining the final destiny.
Lady Macbeth played the smallest role in the debate of destiny. Lady Macbeth’s actions fall right into place with the predictions of the witches. Macbeth leaves the most room for debate. Macbeth’ character flaws seem to be a threat to destiny and fate at all. The debate almost holds water and is an admiral thought. However, once fate is determined the mortal man cannot change it. The path that leads to that final fate may take many twists and turns, but in the end the outcome will be the same. Witches hold a lot of symbolism in literature.
This holds true in Shakespeare’s writings as well. Whether the witches are believed to be real witches or merely three sisters, they still symbolize the supernatural and the casting of spells. The witches in Macbeth are the characters that create the fate and destiny. They present the destiny of the King Duncan to Macbeth. This by no means indicates that they do not know the fate of all the characters, including Macbeth. They most likely do know what will happen to all the characters, even themselves and quite possibly how it will happen.
The witches only disclose what they want to and to whom they want to. Being witches it can be assumed and predicted that destiny has been created through the evil nature of the supernatural evil witches. Lady Macbeth is the character that most would use to fuel their argument of tragedy of character. Analyzing the nature of women would actually support the opposite, tragedy of fate. Women throughout history have always craved power. Until recently women have been unable to hold any power for themselves.
Lady Macbeth expresses this as she curses her sex and her bosom, admitting that power is more precious than bearing children. Women throughout history have had to experience power only through the success of their husbands. This alone is enough to support the argument of tragedy of fate. Although Lady Macbeth does what she can to tempt her husband to take the crown at all costs, there is little she really could have done to guarantee that to happen. At last, Macbeth! Character flaws a mass. It would appear at first that all of Macbeth’s actions are granting a tragedy upon himself and his wife.
Remember, however, that the witches have set the scene for the final destiny. By sharing the information with Macbeth in the manner that they did, they have guaranteed that he will go insane and act as thus. It is obvious that the witches were aware of the outcome of Macbeth’s demise. Not sharing this information does not make it any less part of the overall destiny and the total fate of Macbeth. As Macbeth acted upon the little bit of knowledge he was given he went farther and farther to get what he desired as fast as he could.
This involved more a more extremes such as killing all of the Macduffs. Had the witches offered any more or less information in any different manner it may have changed Macbeth’s reaction. However, this fact does not make the story a tragedy of character because the witches disclosed the information exactly as it would guide events to the final destiny. As illustrated, Macbeth can be evaluated successfully, only as a tragedy of fate. The witches represent a destiny foretold and most likely tampered with.
The involvement of the witches foretells the reliance of the characters on the supernatural. Lady Macbeth behaves in the predictable manner of so many women throughout history. The fact that the behavior happens on a mass level leads it to a matter of fate in nature. Macbeth, while acting on character flaws in perception, is actually responding to the manipulation of the witches. The motivation of the witches to manipulate all characters, especially Macbeth is to ensure the outcome to be the fate and destiny set out by their predictions.