How does Shakespeare create tension and play with the idea of fate in Macbeth?

• There are many reasons why Shakespeare created tension within the book and played with Macbeth’s Fate.

The witches introduced Macbeth’s fate. They said his fate was that he should beware of Duncan. Shakespeare is in charge of Macbeth’s fate as he wrote the book and can put anyone where he wants and can write what he wants.

The play would be very different if the witches weren’t there. They told Macbeth that he will be King, which urged him to kill Duncan even more. If they weren’t there Macbeth would not have known his fate , and maybe would have tried as hard to kill Duncan or would not have done it at all.

There is dramatic irony in the play as the audience or readers know more about the play as they watch the whole play so they know about everything that happens, whereas the actors only know way they are assigned.

Another thing is when Macbeth first met the witches he did not ow whether to trust them or not. However the audience know that he should not trust them. This is because earlier in the play the witches did something bad. They cursed a woman’s husband as she did not give some chestnuts to the witches. This is why they shouldn’t have been trusted

To add, when King Duncan was killed, the audience knew that it was Macbeth who killed him however many people blamed Malcolm and Donaldbain for his murder.

Another thing is, that King Duncan had full trust in Macbeth, however the audience knows that Macbeth wants to kill the king to become King, but King Duncan does not know this. This is why many people did not think that Macbeth killed the King as they know that, or they think, that Macbeth was loyal to the king.

Shakespeare created tension by making a prophecy that was ‘no man of woman born could harm Macbeth’, however Macduff was able to kill him. This is as Macduff was not born of a woman he was cut out, he was ‘untimely ripped’, this is how he killed Macbeth as he was not woman born.