2) With all this talk about Destiny, Fate and Influence, what role do you think the witches will have in this play? Are we all subject to our? Or can we influence our own future?

The witches’ prediction motivates Macbeth to pursue the throne. If there was no witches’ prophesies, Macbeth would not have been motivated to take over the crown with all costs. Their prophecies direct the actions of Macbeth and his wife. The witches’ roles in this play are not so much about destiny and fate but influence. I don’t believe in pre-determined destiny. In this play, the character Macbeth struggles between his ambition and loyalty after the witches tell him what his future will be like. However, he was then motivated by Lady Macbeth to follow her murder plot to kill the king.  The self-conflict created by the witches and Lady Macbeth caused a huge character flaw in Macbeth as he could not decide on the best course of action to take. Based on the Act I of Macbeth, I believe that if it is destiny or fate for Macbeth to become the king, then he would not have to assassinate the king to begin with.  If the story is based on destiny and fate, the king could have died naturally and Macbeth, the thorn of Cawdor, would have been crowned the next king. As a result, the play could have become a comedy play because nobody does anything evil to achieve his/her desires. I think that we make our own decisions and we have to be responsible for the consequences of our actions. We could be inspired or influenced by others; however, it is us who make the ultimate choices in our lives. For instances, a person could come from a prestigious background yet end up in destruction simply because he or she makes bad choices such as gambling and committing crimes. Also, we can influence our own future. For example, in the case of my own future, if I want to become an engineer, I must complete Chemistry 12 and Physics 12 in order to apply for a major in engineering.