Paul Buttles

4 April 2019
McFadden
Literary Analysis Essay
Three Times Three: Power to Be Fated Yet Free
The freedom of free will has been hotly contentious for as long as the idea has existed. This
stands in contrast to the ever-present idea of fate, that some course of events is inevitable. Any level of
fate undermines just how free free choice can really be. This calls into question where to draw the line
between what is chosen and what is inevitable. The key to answering this question and many others is to
first establish what allows this line to be drawn. William Shakespeare’s famous play ​The Tragedy of
Macbeth​ contends that the relationship between choice and fate is maintained by a single factor: power.
Rather than expressing this outright, Shakespeare uses subtle literary elements to communicate these
ideas to the audience. The progression of the number three as a symbol for power creates a complex view
of how power and choice determine fate.
Groupings of three are often used to represent divinity and divine power, and the Weird Sisters
are no exception. These three witches make prophecies and apparitions in groups of three throughout the
play (Shakespeare 1.3.49-79, 4.1.69-116). There is no question of their supernatural powers through these
actions, making them appear to be gods playing marionette with Macbeth and the others. The logical
conclusion of this power would be to assume they hold control over the fates of those involved, but this is
not so. The iconic incantation, “Thrice to thine and thrice to mine / And thrice again, to make up nine”
appears to be a way of signalling their power before the determine the fate of the play (Shakespeare
1.3.36-37). However, this also serves an entirely different purpose: satire. Playing off of the idea of an
unholy trinity, Shakespeare is almost chauvinistic in his relentless portrayal of these witches’ power; they
are more than just godlike, they are godly to the power of godliness. Such heavy-handedness crosses the
threshold into a satire of their omnipotence, calling into question whether they truly have power or simply
the appearance of it. This is the beginning of the motif of three. This number is not a way of embellishing
the witches’ power-- it signals it. Whether mortal or supernatural, fleeting or eternal, whoever holds the
number three holds the power.
For this very reason, Macbeth’s possession of the number three asserts not only his power but his
free will. The very first prophecy, one telling of Macbeth’s future ambitions, is given in threes. He is
exalted as the “thane of Glamis… [the] thane of Cawdor … [and] king hereafter,” outlining his past,
present and future roles within the kingdom (Shakespeare 1.3.49-51). While consistent with the voice of
the witches thus far, this triplet is a subtle way of passing power onto Macbeth. They are not divining
some external fate, nor are they forcing him into a particular course of action. They are simply enabling
him with knowledge to proceed how he sees fit. They are giving him power. Not only is this consistent
with the explicit text, but it is consistent with their implied motivations. Witches like these stand to gain
nothing from political upheaval. As with the case of the sailor’s wife refusing to give the first sister
chestnuts, the actual material goods are irrelevant (Shakespeare 1.3.4-11). They are looking to meddle for
their own entertainment, which is precisely why the chestnuts are never mentioned again upon the
entrance of the far more interesting Macbeth. They are spectators, not operators. This is what makes
Macbeth’s rise to power completely his own. His power does not reach an apex upon becoming king. He
has finally achieved a place of supreme power and self-determination after the suicide of Lady Macbeth.
His only comment on the death of his wife is its inevitability, declaring that it was bound to happen
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” (Shakespeare 5.5.19). This incredulously dismissive reaction
paints Macbeth as cold and unfeeling, even sociopathic. But by repeating it three times, he invokes the
godlike power he has been bestowed. The repetition is almost as if to say that a god such as himself does
not concern himself with the dealings of mortals. This hellish divinity is what allows him to be so
dismissive. Make no mistake, his very soul is the price he has paid for his omnipotence. It is undeniable,
however, that the pinnacle of his ambition is to look in the face of empathy and scoff.
As alluded to before, power is not without its constraints. Despite all the evidence for Macbeth’s
autonomy, there is still a looming sense of an inescapable fate. This phantom destiny is very real, and its
source is hidden in plain sight. It is not the result of some deus ex machina pulling strings from on high.
Concealed within the Porter’s speech is the origin of fate in Macbeth, as he asserts, “drink, sir, is a great
provoker of three things” (Shakespeare 2.3.11). By invoking the number three, it is immediately evident
that drink serves as a metaphor for the power that is imbued in the witches and drives Macbeth’s ascent.
In a beautiful excoriation of ambition, the porter continues, “Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine.
Lechery, sir, it provokes and unprovokes. It provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance”
(Shakespeare 2.3.13). The first line explains the consequences of power: a light blush of desire, the
gradual slumber of one’s morals, and the inevitable cesspool that follows. But that fate will not manifest
until the tragic hero chooses to drink. Drunk on the pursuit of power, he has lost the ability to exercise his
courage correctly and instead becomes the regicidal antithesis of his former self. This is the fate he chose.
No stew, spell, or potion is as potent as the consequences of one’s own actions. The fulfillment of the
third prophecy confirms this as well. Macbeth begins to realize the farce of his immortality after the first
impossible prophecy takes place. The forest of men march on the castle holding branches, first announced
at a distance of three miles (Shakespeare 5.5.35-37). By including this specific detail, the power of three
is now transferred to the people who intend to remove him from the throne. They hold the power that
serves as the engine for the fate he has made for himself. By living by conquest and power, he will die by
conquest and power. By choosing to pursue power, power has chosen how free--or unfree--his future will
be. This is the fate he chose.
It bears reminding that the number three holds no actual power within the universe of the play. It
is instead a narratorial device used by Shakespeare to mark the presence and transfer of power throughout
the play. This secular approach is key to what makes Shakespeare’s portrayal of fate and free will so
poignant. Power lies at the intersection of destiny and choice; it enables one, but necessitates that the
other follows in equal balance. The power got to his head-- and that’s exactly why he lost it.
 Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. ​The Tragedy of Macbeth​. Ed. Crowther, John. New York: Spark Publishing, 2003.
Print.