The thing that's interesting is that Buffy belongs to both belief systems: she is both chosen and choosing. She went to face the Master because she believed the prophecy; she was brought back because she had friends (Xander) who didn't. She kills Angel because she needs to, but she lets Spike sacrifice himself because he chooses to. She believes that she has no choice but to be the slayer, but she does so on her own terms. Hence the part of her that's attracted to Angel, and the part of her that's attracted to Spike.
When Buffy made the choice to empower the potentials all over the world, Buffy believed that she could choose her own destiny. Buffy first started her affair with Spike when she was ripped from heaven, and stopped believing in anything resembling the divine (or a purpose) on Earth. That's when she told Spike that she loved him. But in season eight Buffy has felt trapped by her slayer calling, completely unable to step outside the role of leader she feels that others have cast her into. And so she is of course mad for Angel, because she feels just as trapped as him, just as much the exceptional Chosen One (and not one among many who can choose to be exceptional).
Willow, like Spike, has "Will" in her name--she creates her own reality, by manipulating the world around her. But she is also like Angel in that she often seeks complete control of others around her, which is something that Spike does not do, as he doesn't believe that others can be so controlled. (Convinced? Perhaps. But not controlled the way Willow or Angel do.) In season eight, Willow chooses the trickster as a guide, because she plans not to follow her prophesies exactly (she'll know she's lying because she always lies) but she ends up repentant, on her knees, waiting for further instructions about when portals will open. For Willow it's more about physics and the integrity of the timestream, I think; but she is concerned about the inevitability of the future after she finds out that Buffy will kill her. Angel and Spike are the extremes on the spectrum; the other characters, I think, lie somewhere in between--though Willow ultimately is much closer to Spike than Angel.
I hadn't really thought before about Wesley vs. Giles as believer vs. skeptic. It's notable that Wesley is entirely Watcher-schooled, whereas Giles has spent some time away from the Watcher's academy, and in the real world; he has less rigid views of what people are capable of than Wesley does, at least before Wesley himself becomes darker than he could have thought. It's interesting that Wesley doesn't really learn from his mistake with Connor--in season four, he decides that they must release Angelus simply because Cordelia had a vision/"memory in the form of a vision" indicating that Angelus knew the Beast. But then he breaks Faith out of jail to make up for his mistake, and goes off the course charted by Cordelia's visions. Then in season five, after Angel wipes his memory, he believes again completely in predestination--Angel must believe the Shanshu, after all.
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The thing that's interesting is that Buffy belongs to both belief systems: she is both chosen and choosing. She went to face the Master because she believed the prophecy; she was brought back because she had friends (Xander) who didn't. She kills Angel because she needs to, but she lets Spike sacrifice himself because he chooses to. She believes that she has no choice but to be the slayer, but she does so on her own terms. Hence the part of her that's attracted to Angel, and the part of her that's attracted to Spike.
When Buffy made the choice to empower the potentials all over the world, Buffy believed that she could choose her own destiny. Buffy first started her affair with Spike when she was ripped from heaven, and stopped believing in anything resembling the divine (or a purpose) on Earth. That's when she told Spike that she loved him. But in season eight Buffy has felt trapped by her slayer calling, completely unable to step outside the role of leader she feels that others have cast her into. And so she is of course mad for Angel, because she feels just as trapped as him, just as much the exceptional Chosen One (and not one among many who can choose to be exceptional).
Willow, like Spike, has "Will" in her name--she creates her own reality, by manipulating the world around her. But she is also like Angel in that she often seeks complete control of others around her, which is something that Spike does not do, as he doesn't believe that others can be so controlled. (Convinced? Perhaps. But not controlled the way Willow or Angel do.) In season eight, Willow chooses the trickster as a guide, because she plans not to follow her prophesies exactly (she'll know she's lying because she always lies) but she ends up repentant, on her knees, waiting for further instructions about when portals will open. For Willow it's more about physics and the integrity of the timestream, I think; but she is concerned about the inevitability of the future after she finds out that Buffy will kill her. Angel and Spike are the extremes on the spectrum; the other characters, I think, lie somewhere in between--though Willow ultimately is much closer to Spike than Angel.
I hadn't really thought before about Wesley vs. Giles as believer vs. skeptic. It's notable that Wesley is entirely Watcher-schooled, whereas Giles has spent some time away from the Watcher's academy, and in the real world; he has less rigid views of what people are capable of than Wesley does, at least before Wesley himself becomes darker than he could have thought. It's interesting that Wesley doesn't really learn from his mistake with Connor--in season four, he decides that they must release Angelus simply because Cordelia had a vision/"memory in the form of a vision" indicating that Angelus knew the Beast. But then he breaks Faith out of jail to make up for his mistake, and goes off the course charted by Cordelia's visions. Then in season five, after Angel wipes his memory, he believes again completely in predestination--Angel must believe the Shanshu, after all.
Lots more to ponder.