Free-Will in Macbeth

The renowned William Shakespeare had once postulated, "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." Conversely, via distinct imagery he portrays that only the opposite of true - destiny is not in the hands of the beholder. In Macbeth, the underlying question of fate vs. free will is heavily expounded upon through symbols such as those of night and darkness. Two diametric schools of thought exist regarding fate v. free will; existentialism or the belief that each person defines their future by their decided actions and fatalism, the belief that the outcome of all events is preordained. Macbeth heavily relies on fate and often takes the unproblematic and ordained way, which essentially leads to his downfall. With this path came the great paradox; reminiscent of the fundamental question of the chicken before the egg, was it the knowledge of fate that led to its inherent following?…