The Role Of Fate In “Romeo & Juliet” By William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet tells the story of two lovers who were “star-crossed”. Romeo & Juliet both cannot escape their fateful fate despite the love they share. Their tragic deaths are not solely due to fate. Human error and weakness are also factors.
Tragically, their deaths can be caused by both fate and actions of others. Shakespeare explores this theme in Romeo & Juliet. The Prologue reveals that Romeo & Juliet have fate against their backs. Their love is “marked to die”, which means that fate has been against them from the beginning. He speaks of a mysterious danger “hanging out in the stars” as Romeo approaches the Capulets’ house. The idea that events are predicted to occur is an explanation of how fate predetermines life. Friar Laurent warns Romeo that impulsive actions can lead to very serious and damaging consequences. This warning reminds Romeo’s audience that Romeo is already fated and that there will be consequences. Shakespeare brings out the central theme of not being able to control what happens. Shakespeare shows us that the fates and actions of others play a bigger role than their own. Romeo is approached to read the guest lists by the servant who is not literate. ” God ‘i’ good e’en. I pray, sir. Please read. This scene allows Romeo to access the Capulet party. Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to go and would have never met Juliet. Fate plays a major role in this scene. Friar John was unable to deliver the message for Romeo because of an infection. Romeo mistook Juliet’s message of being asleep for dead, and he discovered that she was indeed dead. Romeo, in his grief at Juliet’s death, committed suicide and Juliet succumbed to her injuries. Tybalt is threatening to kill Romeo, but Old Capulet tells him “Let him alone.” He looks like a handsome gentleman. He looks like a portly gentleman. In the end, fate plays a significant role in Romeo and Juliet’s fate. It was not only Romeo’s fault that the tragedy occurred, but also on a much larger scale. The Montagues and Capulets had a family feud that determined Romeo wouldn’t be accepted by them.
The Prologue demonstrates this feud. Romeo is not the Montague child. Romeo could have been accepted by Capulets if he had been born to a family of higher class. Another factor is that the Black Death impacted all Europeans on a greater scale. This historical fact was not only felt by Romeo but also the Montagues and Capulets. “So afraid were these of infection.” He was afraid of the Black Death and did not deliver the message to Romeo because of it. He was in control, but chose not to leave the safety of his home, and this led to the tragic ending.
Juliet’s soliloquy illustrates the main theme: “What happens if this mixture doesn’t work ?…No? This will prohibit it. “Lie there!” Juliet agrees to die if Romeo and Juliet are not together. Friar Lawrence may have a plan, but it won’t work. Juliet will always have a knife on her. This illustrates the recurring theme ‘fatalism’. Romeo is her last hope, and she convinces Juliet to drink the potion. Juliet can’t escape her fate. “Romeo Romeo, Romeo!” Here’s drink. I will drink to you. This scene is similar to Romeo’s suicide. He also toasts Juliet. This fragmentation suggests that Romeo is going to be separated from Juliet. Their fates are unchangeable. From the beginning, it was evident that the star-crossed lovers would die.
This play is about fate. Romeo and Juliet is a play. Fate is a force that cannot be seen and heard. However, it is always there. Each character in this story is aware and connected to fate. Many of these tragic events in the play are due to fate. Some parts are accidental and others are the result of other people’s actions. Romeo & Juliet are in trouble. Their tragic ending is clearly attributable to fate.
