Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Free will vs fate in shakespeare comedy
Fate and free will in Shakespeare
Fate and free will in Shakespeare
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Free will vs fate in shakespeare comedy
Belief is a fickle thing. You really don’t get any physical benefit or lack thereof simply for belief. Psychologically, however, belief can be a very powerful thing. It can also be so in ways that we are simply incapable of understanding with our limited knowledge. But in any case, I would have to say that simply believing in fate is not enough to avoid physical consequences, but can occasionally lift some psychological burden off one’s metaphysical shoulders. This theme comes time and time again in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The characters in the play often believe strongly in fate, using it to avoid psychological burden, but more often than not, their belief is in vain.
In a nutshell, fate is the concept that everything is predetermined, and that human beings have no control over what happens in their future. We as people either deny fate or use it to defend ourselves against life, but in either case, consequences are often unavoidable. Take the case of Romeo, when he kills his cousin-in-law, Tybalt. Romeo, who kills vengefully kills Tybalt for slaying his friend Mercutio, cries out, “Oh I am fortune’s fool!” when he sees Tybalt dead. This line is obviously Romeo blaming fate for the fact that his sword impaled Tybalt. In this case, it is clear that all the fate blaming in the world will not save Romeo from the Prince of Verona’s doom. Romeo is thereafter banished for slaying Tybalt, getting lease from the punishment of death only because Tybalt himself was a murderer. Romeo faces the consequences of his actions and heads off to Verona, where thereafter a couple failed plots and some plague or another lead to him and Juliet dying. Romeo, despite a concrete belief in fate, ends up still dealing with the consequences of kill...
... middle of paper ...
...sing Juliet pain and when she “dies”. So in reality, Romeo not only fails to avoid physical consequences but also metaphysical ones as well.
In conclusion, fate is not effective way of avoiding physical consequences, and only an occasional way of avoiding metaphysical ones. Even a firm belief in fate will not relieve all guilt. In fact, such a firm belief may often lead to a state of doom, depression, and fear. Fate can be used to avoid racking guilt and remind oneself that not everything is your fault. But in the end, what you deal with in life will not be related to your position on whether or not fate exists. There is no amount of belief that will deter banishment or any consequence of any action you have done. You will have to deal with what comes, and fate cannot help you change that. However, it can change your outlook into it, for better, or for worse.
In efforts to overcome such hindrances to their love, Juliet feigns her death as planned. However, as a result of miscommunication, Romeo takes the news seriously, and thus, being propelled by zealous devotion, both use death as the key to unity. A variety of themes are implicated throughout the play. Fate, in particular, is well demonstrated. By using the motif of stars and characters such as Friar Lawrence, Juliet, and Romeo, Shakespeare truly and masterfully conveys that fate is the inevitable, unalterable and omnipotent force that controls all actions unto their consequences.
Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is a story of two young lovers. These two hearts, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet belong to feuding families. The family feud causes them to keep their love a secret and therefore only Romeo, Juliet, Benvolio, the Nurse and Friar Lawrence know of their love. Romeo and Juliet are able to look past the feud and let themselves fall in mad love with the other. They let themselves do almost anything for the other and at times it seems like too much to do, even for the one they love. Although fate and character traits play a key role in the play, ultimately Rome and Juliet’s personal choices lead to their downfall.Fate originates all of the conflicts in Romeo and Juliet, from when they met until they die.
Some people may not believe that fate is something that truthfully exists in the world. This portion of the population doubts that there is anything that is actually meant to be or supposed to happen thinking that there is always a way around troubling predicaments, knowing that it isn't necessary to turn out just one certain way. They trust that whatever occurs in their lives comes as a result of the decisions that they make with their own free will. Others, however, believe that whatever happens during the course of their lives is inevitable and every event predestined and laid out before them like a roadmap to life; in other words, fate. William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet has fate as an exceptionally crucial force, pulling the characters into a more animated state. Because of fate, the play becomes tremendously thrilling and it is exactly what manages the two young lovers to meet each other in the first place. The moment that Romeo and Juliet meet is the exact incident that leads to their death, however unaware these "star-crossed lovers" are to that fact. Thus, fate is undoubtedly the most responsible influence for the couple's heartbreaking tragedy.
So it is likely that Shakespeare meant for fate to be the cause of Romeo and Juliet's death. I think that the family feud is the main cause for the death of Romeo and Juliet. If the families were not so hateful towards each other Romeo and Juliet would not have kept there love for each other a secret, and they would have no need for committing suicide. This also backs up the point that fate could be to blame for their deaths.
If the Titanic did not bump into the iceberg, a tragedy could have been avoided. Why did Hitler get elected? Maybe then the holocaust could have been avoided. If a plane flight was cancelled on 9/11, we might have avoided the deaths of thousands. Why did Romeo meet Juliet in the first place? Could Tybalt and Mercutio’s deaths been avoided? Last but not least, why did Juliet wake up in time to see dying Romeo? What exactly ties all events together? Fate.
This then wakes up Juliet and she kills herself. These two people dying in the tragic was their fate to be forever together in the after life. This is only one example of fate in this great tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. This is an example of true love in itself. No matter what they tried to do the two would never be able to escape that it was their time to die. (Shakespeare)
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, is a famous tragic love story that bases on a young couple from the rival families, the Montagues, and the Capulets, in which the death of the young couple finally end the ‘ancient grudge’ between the two families. Their result of death is believed to be cause mostly by the fate, which brings them closer and closer to their inevitable destiny, death. In many places in the play Shakespeare also uses words like ‘fortune’, ‘sail’, ‘stars’ to reveal that fate and destiny, are the main elements in the play that causes their untimely death.
Most believe if one’s signs do not match up they should not be together. In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare there were two lovers named Romeo and Juliet whose stars were not aligned. There love was doomed and to fail at the beginning. The Stars destroyed their love, fate, and destiny. The lovers were considered to be Star Crossed Lovers, their fate was doomed. The feud between Capulet and Montague had killed them and their future. Their predetermined destiny is cruel because they would ever live or be together, when they loved each other so much.
the extent that he dies at the end of the play. He could have fallen
Fate is non-existent as one's future is based upon their own personal decisions. It is believing
In regards to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare chose fate to be a strong underlying theme which constructs the basis of the story line. Fate has the ability to control the characters’ lives and one minor change in the way it had acted would have changed the entire outcome. Through Romeo and Juliet’s spontaneous encounter, fate was largely responsible for love at first sight alongside controlling the misfortunate events that occur as a result of their love. Apart from love and misfortune, Shakespeare suggests that Romeo and Juliet were destined to die the way they did, despite the fact that it was their choice to end their lives. The outcome of the play was a direct result of fate, which to a notable extent was responsible for the many events which were destined to occur.
Fate is the controlling force of the events that lead up to, and cause, the deaths of Rome and Juliet. It is no coincidence that Romeo meets the Capulet servant and is invited to the party. Fate brought him to the house of the Capel?s where he was destined to meet his future wife, Juliet. At the risk of being killed, the two lovers married their supposed loathéd enemy and consummated the marriage without even the slightest hint of detection from anyone who did not know of the wedding. Unfortunately, their sweet success would be short lived and their lives would be a downward spiral staring with Romeo?s banishment and ending with their deaths. Taking into consideration that Romeo and Juliet are predetermined to meet, love and die together, fate is clearly the dominant force of the play.
The Role of Fate in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet 'Romeo and Juliet', the first romantic tragedy was based on a poem translated from the French 'Novella' (1595). Romeo Montague, who is in love with Rosaline, goes to a party in an attempt to take his mind off her. At this party he meets Juliet Capulet and immediately falls in love with her. Later he finds out that she is a Capulet, the rival family of the Montagues.
The tragedy/romantic story of Romeo and Juliet revolves heavily on the idea of fate and fortune. In Act 3, Scene 1, Page 7 Romeo says his famous quote “Oh, I am fortune’s fool!” when regarding acknowledgement of his banishment, but was it really the fault of fortune or was it the fault of Romeo and Juliet? I believe that this was not the liability destiny but instead the decisions of characters in the story because of 3 main reasons. Romeo and Juliet have both definitely made terrible decisions revolving their love, other characters also made decisions that heavily affect the story and outcome, finally the culture and history behind the scenes of Romeo and Juliet have a lot to do
When Tybalt is slain, Romeo cries out, “O, I am Fortune’s fool!” implying that the death of Tybalt was not the fault of Romeo, but by the fault of fate. Shakespeare continues to play upon the idea of Fortune throughout the play. When Friar Lawrence discovers that the letter has not been delivered to Romeo hey says, “Unhappy Fortune!” revealing that fate has its hand upon everything (5.2.17). It seems that whenever a character is in peril they turn to fate for answers, leading others to believe that they are not at fault. Shakespeare’s constant outbursts from that of characters and constant foreshadowing from them, reveals that actions are justified by fate. This in turn supports Shakespeare’s thoughts about fate in that it controls our