Life is full of the unpredictable. As humans, some of us believe it is guided by fate or by choice. Fate is defined as an unavoidable or predetermined path, yet a life of choice is guided through the risks one is willing to take. A life of choice can be in many scenarios, not only in reality, but also in stories, legends and plays. In the play “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare determines the outcome of flaws through the ancient grudge, Romeo’s **and Old Capulet’s threat.
The Capulet’s and Montague’s ancient struggle has a great impact on the outcome of the plot. The hatred has restricted their children from loving who they desire. The hate between the families is so great, they do not spend the time to understand their children and support them. Some say parents know what’s best for you, but in this case, it is proven wrong. That is where the flaws come into play. Capulet and Montague spend too much time on their own hateful matters than focusing on their child’s future. They do not understand that their children are more important than the hatred they have for the other household. Capulet and Montague’s hate had already created a blockade between the young lovers, yet Romeo and Juliet still urged to love each other even though they knew their consequences. From that, Romeo and Juliet sacrificed anything to be with each other. For instance, in the end, Romeo went through all the multiple struggles to die beside Juliet, and Juliet had taken the potion and went through all the pain just to be with Romeo. Suppose the hatred is replaced with brotherhood, it is sure that Romeo and Juliet would not have to overcome any death related obstacles. Therefore, the ancient struggle between the two families played a great role that proves this p...
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...to Friar Lawrence who comes up with the sacrificing plan that went wrong and resulted to a brutal end. Suppose if Capulet had not forced Juliet’s marriage or rearrange it on an earlier day, it is sure Romeo and Juliet would not have died the way they did. To conclude, Capulet’s threat brought the young couple to a barbaric death.
In conclusion, the hatred between the families, the strong young love, and Juliet’s forced marriage played great roles which lead to the brutal death of these star crossed lovers. The parent’s hatred blinded them to pay attention to their children’s needs, the love kept Romeo and Juliet together through all costs and the Friar’s plan to avoid the marriage went wrong which lead them to their death.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Dom Salaini, et al. Toronto : International Thomson
Publishing, 1997. Print.
In Romeo and Juliet, there are many guilty parties that contribute to the deaths and demise of Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Tybalt, Count Paris and the many other victims of the bitterness and grudge between the Capulets and the Montagues. However, the three most culpable parties are the set of opposing parents; the Montagues and Capulets, the prince; Escalus of Verona and ultimately the lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The blame lies mostly on these three parties because their decisions greatly influenced the outcome of this Shakespearean tragedy. In this essay, I will prove and condemn the prince, parents and lovers for the losses of life and the confusion in Romeo and Juliet.
The reader realizes this when the prologue states, “Two households, both alike in dignity/ In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, / From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,/ Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean./ From forth the fatal loins of these two foes/ A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life” (I 1-6). This translates to say two families have been rivals for many years. Romeo and Juliet are two from separate rivaling families that fall in love. The reader can acknowledge that these two individuals meet one another due to fate. However, they know that because of their parents’ hatred of each other, they can never be together. “My only love sprung from my only hate!/ Too early seen unknown, and known too late!/ Prodigious birth of love it is to me,/ That I must love a loathed enemy” (I v138-140). A decision is made that the only way to be happy is to take their lives. As soon as the play begins, the audience can foresee a tragic ending because of the language used.
Romeo and Juliet are madly in love with each other and will go to any lengths to be together. To support my thesis that the conflict between the heads of the Montague and Capulet families is responsible for Romeo and Juliet's death, I quote from Romeo and Juliet (V, iii, 291-293) Prince: ". Capulet! Montague.
As these words echoed through the hall of the Globe theatre little did William Shakespeare know that this tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, would be examined and admired by playwrights for decades to come. So does fate play a major part in this tragedy? Or does their blood stain the garments of civil hands? Could it have been the loyal Mercutio, who swore on both their houses?? Tybalt the hated enemy? or was it Friar Lawrence who tried to end the fighting between households. Or does the blame go on the ancestors who began it. Many would agree that the death of these lovers cannot be blamed on anyone but themselves. This question cannot be answered without looking deeply into each characters involvement in the tragedy.
The feud between the Montagues and Capulets- The loss of Lord Capulet and Lord Montague’s children bring the two households together. Romeo and Juliet’s death helped their parents realize how wrong their feud was and bond over the commemoration of their children. For example, Lord Montague want to build a statue of Juliet, so everyone can remember her, and Lord Capulet wants to build a statue of Rome beside Juliet. This project helps bring the families together, and set aside their
In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, all the choices made by the star crossed lovers have consequences. The two lovers blame fate for their misfortune. They refuse to believe that fate does not determine the end result, only that they can do that. At the beginning of the play, Romeo is presented with a plethora of choices. The audience is introduced to Romeo as he sulks over his lover Rosaline.
In society, people have varying opinions on fate. Many question whether life’s events are pre-determined by fate or whether people have a destiny to serve a greater purpose. Fate versus free will is an archaic topic among philosophers that is ultimately up for interpretation.The question on whether or not something else is controlling life’s events or if they are simply a coincidence faces us in some point of our lives. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare plays with the idea of fate and its control on the events in the play. He forces us to realize the destiny between Romeo and Juliet involves the fate between the two opposing households as well. Shakespeare blurs the line between fate and free will in his play Romeo and Juliet to show that the outstanding cause of Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy was not something decided- it was fate. It is evident by the events in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that fate was the main cause of the tragedy in the play, and that Romeo and Juliet held the destiny to finally end the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues.
Romeo and Juliet is widely known to be a tragedy, but what caused the atrocity for which it is so renowned? Some may argue fate was to blame for Romeo’s and Juliet’s deaths, that the situations these young lovers faced were depicted as being out of their control. Could Romeo have refused to attend the Capulet masque? Was Romeo destined to duel the raging Tybalt? Did Romeo and Juliet truly have to kill themselves? If one considers the specific circumstances and causes of these situations, the fact that all scenarios are the result of choice rather than chance, and the notion that the characters were never left without options, only one conclusion can be determined. It was unarguably the decisions made by characters, not those made by fate, that were responsible for the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet.
Shakespeare, through the dialogue and action of his characters, readily provides the evidence that both choice and fate are integral parts of human life. For example, Shakespeare illustrates fate through the words of Romeo who states, “I fear, too early, for my mind misgives some consequences, yet handing in the stars…” (I, IV, 116-117). Romeo believes that it is the stars that influence his life. It is not he who determines his life. He initially believes that his fate ultimately governs his choices, choices that cannot be controlled by humans. In addition, Shakespeare also reveals that choice plays a crucial role in determining fate. It is choice then that drives the decisions of the characters but these choices are made in the circumstance of their lives. And these circumstances cannot be removed from their consciousness. For instance, when Juliet says in her soliloquy before she drinks the sleeping potion, “Romeo, I come! This do I drink to thee” (IV, IV, 60) she is saying it is my fate and my choice to be with you. She chooses to drink the potion thus putting her into a coma-like sleep, and ultimately resulting in the death of them both. When Romeo declares, “Then I defy you, stars!” he is making the choice to challenge his fate of living without Juliet who he believes has died. Shakespeare has provided the evidence that fate and choice re so intertwined that they cannot be separated. Even the structure of his play alludes to this same perception.
In the play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, many people lead to the outcome of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. The play is about a boy, Romeo, and a girl, Juliet, from two rival families that fall in love. The two families, the Montagues and Capulets, have been fighting for a long time and it affects the entire city of Verona, where they live. It is debated whether or not the deaths of the star-crossed lovers could be blamed on numerous people. The tragedy of their deaths was the faults of multiple characters and could have been prevented.
Shakespeare's play of “Romeo and Juliet” is well known, and leaves the audience asking: Who is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? Most of the play’s characters closely related to Romeo and Juliet carry some responsibility, but there are three characters or groups who had the greatest influence on the story’s outcome. Friar Laurence could be blamed for marrying them and keeping it secret. Juliet’s nurse encouraged Romeo’s pursuit of Juliet, even helping Juliet sneak out to marry. Last and most deserving of blame, however, are the parents, Lord and Lady Capulet and Lord and Lady Montague. If not for the family feud and hatred, Romeo and Juliet would’ve lived, not tasting the bittersweetness of death.
The result is Romeo and Juliet murdering themselves and the play has a tragic ending. Overall, young, innocent lovers die, through no fault of their own but a simple mistake.
Romeo and Juliet made many choices out of their own free will, including an irreversible decision that ended in despair for all characters. “All are punished!”(5.3.305). In the play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, the actions of Romeo, the actions of Juliet, and the actions of others prove that free will is more paramount than fate in the plot of the play.
Romeo and Juliet is regarded as one of William Shakespeare’s most tragic love stories, which has its influence on many aspects of the entertainment industry. In the context of this play, there are uncertainties surrounding whether the fatalities occur as a result of free will or under the uncontrollable force of fate. Through Romeo and Juliet’s premeditated encounter, Shakespeare indicates that fate is primarily responsible for love at first sight. Simultaneously, Romeo and Juliet are also portrayed as victims of their own destiny which induces their misfortunes and deaths. Apart from being one of the major themes, fate is also a main contributor to the outcome of the play.
Because of the Friar’s yearning to end the Montague-Capulet feud, the ultimatum imposed by Capulet to his daughter and their superficial relationship, and the Nurse’s support and betrayal, Romeo and Juliet chose to end their lives. The Friar’s desire to end the feud by marrying the star-crossed lovers, and his full confidence in his plans, were unwise and indirectly caused the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Capulet’s disconnection from Juliet and his ultimatum causes Juliet to consider suicide as a way out of her situation. The Nurse supporting Romeo and Juliet’s marriage, only to betray her later, also contributed to their deaths.