In some respects Shakespeare is a man caught between two different ages. The medieval mind-set led to the belief in forces beyond our comprehension which controlled the lives of men and women: God's will, the influence of the stars, unalterable Fate or the effect of the occult on one's actions. Here we see the three witches from Macbeth, who in some respects could be seen as controlling Macbeth's actions in the play. However, Shakespeare is also a modern man, and he knew that people with their own free will must make their own choices for good or evil. And so he is careful to show Macbeth weighing the moral consequences of each of his actions before he commits an act of evil. Shakespeare's characters may declare that they are the "fools of Fortune," but they are pretty much responsible for their own destinies.

One of the forces that were breaking down the superstitions of the Middle Ages was the spread of education. The flowering of the Renaissance in England led to a conscious decision to standardize curriculum around a study of Latin. With the spread of wealth throughout the society, more bright young boys, such as Will Shakespeare, had access to a classical education which would enable them to succeed in that society. The pinnacle of educational achievement was still one of the two universities, such as Oxford shown here. But Shakespeare's career is proof that one could do quite well with just a grammar school education.