Examples Of Romeo And Juliet Fate

988 Words2 Pages

Romeo and Juliet: Fate Vs Free Will The play Romeo and Juliet is a classic love story written by William Shakespeare, well known around the world. The play tells the fatal love story of two young star-crossed lovers from two different feuding families. In Romeo and Juliet, we get a definite sense of fate over free will, as fate is an unavoidable force beyond a person's control, destined to happen. No matter what we do, fate still holds the final judgment of our lives. The resultant events of the characters in this tragedy are majorly caused by the hands of fate, and not solely on the voluntary choices that could have been made by each character. The play’s themes of conflict, love, revenge, and destiny all tie in with the role of fate.
Due to their inevitable deaths, Friar Lawerence’s plan of getting Romeo and Juliet together is interrupted by fate’s path for them. To keep Juliet from marrying Count Paris, Friar Lawerence gives Juliet a potion that makes her seem dead on the day of the arranged wedding. Friar Lawerence sends a letter with Friar John to give to Romeo in Mantua, where he was banished too, to let him know of this plan. Friar John never gets the letter to Romeo in Mantua, due to complications caused by fate. When Friar John tells Friar Lawerence the letter was never delivered, Friar Lawerence says “Unhappy fortune! By brotherhood. (V.ii.19). Friar Lawerence is stating that the higher power controlling their fortune and is unhappy with them, and fate is not on their side. Even Friar Lawerence believes that fate is controlling Romeo and Juliet's lives and is affecting his plan to bring Romeo and Juliet back together. As a result of Romeo not receiving the Friar’s letter, Romeo comes to believe that Juliet is dead. He precedes to plan a way to take his own life, by purchasing poison, as he believes that he can’t live without Juliet. If fate hadn't interfered, Romeo would have received the letter, knowing Juliet wasn't actually dead. This would have resulted in both Romeo and Juliet still being alive, and having a happy ending, but because death was written in the stars for both the young lovers, fate continued with it’s

Show More
Related

  • Fate, Traits, And Choices in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    1212 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although fate and character traits play a key role in the play, ultimately Romeo 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. Romeo is in love with Rosaline at the very beginning of the story and has just found out that she has taken the vow of chastity. Meanwhile, Lord Capulet has given County Paris Juliet’s hand in marriage if he can wait until she is sixteen. The Capulets have a party so that Juliet and the Count can meet and he can then woo her.

    Read More

  • Choice Not Fate: The True Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

    1674 Words  | 4 Pages

    Fate can be defined as being “a power that determines and controls everything that is or happens,” (Newfeldt (Ed.) p.431) while destiny can be described as “what is predetermined to happen in spite of all efforts to change or prevent it.” (Newfeldt (Ed.) p.321) Therefore, fate is the entity that decides all that will occur, and destiny is the decision made by fate. Tragedy can be defined as the dramatic representation of serious and important actions that turn out disastrously for the main character. This indicates that the tragedies in Romeo and Juliet were the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, and to say fate and destiny were not responsible for these tragedies, is to say the characters of the play, rather than some intangible force, were aware and in control of the actions that caused Romeo’s and Juliet’s

    Read More

  • Fate is the Leading Cause of Death in Rome and Juliet by William Shakespeare

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    “It lies not in our power to love, or hate, for will in us is over-rul'd by fate.” In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, it is clear that the leading theme is fate, as it is mentioned several times. Shakespeare allows the audience to see everything that happens “behind closed doors.” While some characters’ actions did affect the outcome of the play, fate is the ruling force.

    Read More

  • Fate In Zeffirelli's Romeo And Juliet

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the beginning of the play, the existence of fate has been leading Romeo and Juliet to their deaths. This is first evident in the play’s dialogue when the Serving man asks Romeo to help him read the guest list for Capulet’s party. Shakespeare writes, “God’I’ good e’en. I pray, sir, can you read?/ Ay, mine own fortune in my misery” (I,ii,58-59). This demonstrates the theme of fate because Verona is a large city and the Serving man can be in any street in Verona asking any individual to help him read, but he coincidentally encounters

    Read More

  • The Shortsighted Friar Lawrence in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's first authentic tragedy. It is about two lovers who commit suicide when their feuding families prevent them from being together. The play has many characters, each with its own role in keeping the plot line. Some characters have very little to do with the plot; but some have the plot revolving around them. While the character of Friar Lawrence spends only a little time on stage, he is crucial to the development of the conclusion of the play.  It is Friar Laurence’s good intentions, his willingness to take risks and his shortsightedness that lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

    Read More

  • How Poor Decisions Brought Misfortune in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    Choices determine every outcome, A better way to put it is “What we do in life, echoes in eternity”, essentially every single decision one makes, no matter how minuscule, will always have an impact in one’s life. Fate isn’t real; Fate is a term commonly used by those that refuse to accept that they control their own future. Teenagers ever since the beginning of time were and still are expected to make poor choices due to their age. But once they learn to take responsibility for their actions, they become adults. Both Romeo and Juliet make multiple decisions, such as marrying, killing and suicide, without stepping back and thinking about the consequences.

    Read More

  • Theme of Fate in Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

    1318 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some people may not believe that destiny is something that truthfully exists in the world. These people doubt 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 is not 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 believe that whatever happens during the course of their lives is inevitable and every event is laid out before them like a road map to life, in other words, fate. William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet has fate as an exceptionally crucial element which makes fate as important as any character in the production. The events leading up to and during the party were definitely caused by fate. 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 tragedy.

    Read More

  • Fate in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    833 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Fate in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    935 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet - Fate Or Free Will

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    After Romeo kills Paris, and then himself, Juliet wakes as Friar Lawrence rushes over to her. Friar Lawrence is saying that a higher power, in this case, fate, has ruined their plan. We know that Friar Lawrence is talking about fate when he says that they cannot contradict this power. You cannot contradict fate, it always has it’s way in the end, whether we know it or not.

    Read More

  • Fate vs Freewill in Romeo and Juliet

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, free will is more dominant than fate in the outcome of the play and is shown by Juliet’s actions, Romeo’s actions, and the actions of others. Free will is shown first through Juliet’s actions, most notably, when she is supposed to marry Paris, she drinks the potion to put herself in a coma and, when she chooses to kill herself. According to fate, Juliet was supposed to marry the county of Paris. “Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn/ The gallant, young, and noble gentleman/

    Read More

  • Fate in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    1290 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fate in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Before starting to decide to what extent fate was responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, I should first decide what is fate? According to the dictionary, fate is the 'inevitable destiny or necessity destined term of life; doom.' This basically means, that fate can be described as a pre-planned sequence of events influencing ones life. In Romeo and Juliet, it is obviously true to say that fate was a contributor to the deaths of the young couple, but could it have been the sole contributor?

    Read More

  • Romeo and Juliet Victims of Fate

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even though nobody likes it, bad luck exists. There is no way to get rid of it, it is just a part of life. Not everything can go the way someone wants it to. If something random happens to someone and it favours them, like winning the lottery, then that is good luck for that person. Likewise, if something random happens to someone and it is unfavourable, like a rampaging rhinoceros escaping from a nearby zoo and brutally slaughtering them and 23 other people, that would be bad luck. Just like everybody else, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet are victims of bad luck. The Capulets and Montagues hate each other, Juliet has an arranged marriage to Paris, and there is a plague in the city of the messenger. And so it is bad luck and fate that ultimately cause the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

    Read More

  • Fate In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

    682 Words  | 2 Pages

    The lovers of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Romeo and Juliet are perhaps the most famous pair of lovers in history. Their story has been told and remade in countless ways, with a variety of endings. The original piece however ends with tragedy in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. Throughout Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet, fate is the driving force in that the star-cross lovers are destined to have a tragic end. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses literary elements to reveal that our actions are not what controls our life, but it is fate that determines what will happen to us.

    Read More

  • To what extent does fate play a role in Romeo and Juliet?

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Examples Of Romeo And Juliet Fate

Open Document