Fate vs. Chance

FATE vs. CHANCE

Ok first things first, I am a very firm believer that everything that happens in our lives was meant to happen and that you are exactly where you are meant to be at this moment.  It may not be where you want to be, but you are here and it is up to you to make the most of your current situation. Having been raised with a strong religious background, I was always taught that God has a plan for you and everything in your life that happens will happen for a reason….now I can’t say I understand why God let me spill my coffee all over my shirt on the way to school last week but that's a conversation for another time…

Therefore, when addressing the question of, “Do you believe events in your life have been guided by fate or chance?” I tend to lean toward the idea that events in my life have been guided by fate and specifically that my life has been shaped by God’s hand and His purpose.  However, I also acknowledge that some trivial events in my life that may not be as significant as others (and it is difficult to determine an event’s significance when you’re in the moment) may not have been controlled by a higher power, that they were just going to happen as either a result of my own actions or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  

Before I go any further with this conversation regarding the scary words of FATE and CHANCE, I would like to acknowledge that this is how I am defining these words (thank you Mr. Merriam Webster...or Ms….I’m not sure):

• Fate: “an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end” (specifically regarding some sort of divine intervention)
• Chance: : “something that happens unpredictably without discernible human intention or observable cause”

Ok, these definitions are somewhat confusing but I have interpreted them so that fate is something that a higher power (such as a God or other supernatural force) controls and determines whereas chance is just something that happens (not necessarily the result of an outside force).

I think that because I am a strong believer in God that I want to say that a lot of the events that have occurred in my life can be traced back to fate.  For example, God chose to have a little baby girl (but unfortunately everyone thought I was a little baby boy until I was about 3 because I had no hair- see reference image below) that was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to parents Ed and Kelly Walsh and then the family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina.  However, I think that chance was the stronger force in determining the people that I’ve met along the way. But then going back to the idea of fate, I think that God has shaped a lot of the decisions I have made which result in the outcomes and events I have experienced throughout my life.

(lol Merry Christmas)

Ok now going back to Macbeth (woooo!!!), when dealing with the question, “Based on the text what do you think Shakespeare’s attitude was towards fate?” it is important that we examine how the author (Shakespeare) portrayed Macbeth’s actions/decisions as well as how the outcomes of these actions/decisions are portrayed.  I believe that Shakespeare believed in the idea of fate but was unhappy with how people use it as a justification of actions.

For example, Macbeth can be considered a commentary on the ruling of King James I in the early 17th century.  King James VI and I was supposed to be more religiously tolerant, however, he enforced strict penalties against practicing Catholics.  This angered people and they were unhappy with his ruling. Shakespeare may have viewed this as betrayal as it is speculated that he was a secretly practicing Catholic at the time.  This reflects the idea of fate and chance because Shakespeare may have believed in the optimism that the initial ruling of King James VI and I brought (that God had brought this man to allow Catholics to practice openly) but he was betrayed when the king ended up reinforcing strict Catholic penalties.  

This idea can be seen within Macbeth and the play as a whole could be deemed a commentary on King James VI and I’s ruling.  Macbeth initially gains power and seems like a great leader until he starts going crazy and his actions become irrational and uncontrollable.  This can be seen in the text when it says, “Prithee, see there. Behold, look! Lo, how say you?” (Macbeth, 3.4. 82-83) This quote shows that Macbeth is quite literally going insane after he kills HIS OWN BEST FRIEND (what the heck?!?!) and Banquo’s ghost appears at his dinner table.  

I believe that Macbeth had always had the choice to determine what was going to happen to him, but he let fate and the supernatural influence him into making decisions leading to consequences that may have never come to fruition without Macbeth’s initiative.  This reminds me of an old saying my grandma used to say- and quite honestly I’m not sure why she said this because she didn’t even own a horse but oh well. She would say that “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink,” This phrase means that you can do everything you can to try and invoke an outcome but if it’s not meant to happen it will not happen.  However, in this case, Macbeth has been told where the water is (the prophecy that he will soon become King) and he has chosen to lead the horse (himself) to this water and force the horse to drink with the killing of King Duncan.

This is evidenced by Shakespeare’s writing when it says, “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.” (Macbeth, 1.3. 70).  This quote from the witches shows that the witches have done nothing but state the prophecy that Macbeth is destined to fulfill.  They did not convince him to kill King Duncan, they did not give his a dagger to stab the king, they did not even mention how the prophecy would come true.  All the witches did was implant the idea in Macbeth’s head that he was destined to become king and Macbeth was alone in his actions when he killed King Duncan.  Therefore, he was influenced by the supernatural (FATE) but his own actions led to the outcome of events.

Citations:

“Fate.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2018. https://www.merriam-webster.com (2 December 2018).  

“Chance.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2018. https://www.merriam-webster.com (2 December 2018).  

Seaward, Paul. “Charles II (1630–1685), King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5144.

Shakespeare, William. “Macbeth.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 31 Jan. 2018, www.folger.edu/macbeth.