Shakespeare : fate vs free will

Abstract

'The calamities of tragedy do not simply happen, nor are they sent; they proceed mainly from actions, and those the actions of men'. This dissertation will attempt to analyse three plays from Shakespeare's tragic repertoire, evaluating the degree of essential validity of the above statement. The selected plays are Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar and Macbeth. My choice of these three particular plays was determined by the unique insight they afford into the development of Shakespeare's vision, with regard to the fate versus free will issue. In Romeo and Juliet, the progression towards tragedy is largely subject to verbal and imagistic expression. In Julius Caesar, a historical tragedy, and in Macbeth, one of the mature tragedies, it is possible to trace a growing interest in character, in which the tragedy is more firmly rooted. The dissertation begins with a brief introduction, followed by three chapters, each focusing specifically on one of the plays mentioned above. I would like to point out that the objective of this dissertation is not to reach a definitive conclusion citing either character or fate as entirely overriding the other, but to analyse the suggestive ambivalence which Shakespeare generates in leaving the pathway open to interpretation.