There are people who work really hard for their dreams, but it is not meant for them. That is how fate works. Fate determines what is pre-planned for every person, but it is up to them to do something with it. Our behaviour makes our fate, the outcome of our actions or it is something that is planned out for us. Therefore, whatever path we are walking or taking, it will eventually lead us into becoming the person we are destined to be. Gladwell’s quotation about fate and free will shows how Macbeth’s free will is an illusion because the way he thinks and acts determines his fate.
Gladwell’s quotation about fate and free will conveyed in Macbeth shows that free will is an illusion. Free will is an illusion created by our own brains, which convinces itself to make a free choice from the available options, granted that illusion is a mental misinterpretation of what is believed to be true, because our mind create many different imaginary situations that can prevent people from perceiving reality and objective truths. For example, Macbeth’s fate is to be a king, but as long as Duncan is still alive, there is no way that he can be king. That is why his only free choice from the available options is to murder King Duncan, therefore, he visualizes how to do it and he sees himself doing it or how he sees himself in that position. “This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor. If good, why do I yield to that suggestion.” (Act 1 Scene 3 page 9). The quote stated by Macbeth confirms one of the witches’ predictions, which Macbeth assumes that the witches prediction about him to be the king will likely to happen. Even so, Macbeth misinterprets illusions as the actual reality due to possessing such an untamed ambition. As a result, it explains how people are given the illusion of free will through brainwashing.
Secondly, Gladwell’s quotation about fate and free will conveyed in Macbeth is that free will to think determines fate. Every thought is a choice because it is what you believe. You become what you think about. However, if you want to change your life, you have to change your mind. If you thought something negative, of course the result will be negative. If you think you can do it, then you can do it, because thinking helps you to do the action, on the other hand, it also motivates you to do what you are thinking about for yourself. For example, Macbeth’ says, “If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir” (Act 1 Scene 3 page 9). Macbeth thinks that he does not have to kill the king because if his fate is to be the king, chance will make it happen. However, when your thoughts are focused on wicked things, like Macbeth’s ambition, you are going to do those things, because thinking helps you with your choices and decisions in order to the action. Still, before you can do something, you must think about it because it can impact the results of your fate.
Finally, Gladwell’s quotation about fate and free will conveyed in Macbeth is that free will to act determines fate. Your actions indeed determines your fate because if you want to do or not to do an act, is your own free will. Therefore, your every action creates a result, either good or bad, it still determines your fate. For example, “I go and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell.” (Act 2 Scene 2 page 25) Macbeth killed Duncan by his own free will to act in order to be the king. This explains that fate does not make things happen, but an action will. If you want to do bad things, the things that will return to you is bad luck. On the other hand, in order to have a good fate, we should have thought more about what action should we do because it can lead us to consequences that we never thought of. Therefore, through your actions, there will be consequences or something in return. Even so, we cannot rely on what is planned for us, but we need to do the action in order to know what is the reaction because our fate can also be controlled by the actions we make in life.
The quotation of Gladwell regarding fate and free will indicates how Macbeth’s free will is an illusion because his destiny is being determined by his mindset and behaviour. We can always change our fate by becoming aware of our actions and thoughts. For instance, Macbeth’s fate may be the king, however, he decides his actions all on his own. On the contrary, his free will is likely influenced by the people around him. This teaches us that sometimes, we should accept what our fate is because it is what planned for us. We do not need to do something from our own free will because it can affect our fate. However, even if we cannot control life, we can control ourselves. Just as ambitions are incredibly illusive and detrimental in Macbeth, they can also be incredibly illusive and detrimental in our actual, modern day society. As a result, this can lead us to do our own free will to determine our fate. To conclude this, we should not rush anything. When the time is right, it will happen.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William, and Morgan Merrington. Macbeth. Edited by Roma Gill, Oxford University Press, 2004.