Fatal Choices: The Role of Decision Making in Romeo and Juliet

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Fate is a dominating force which operates the development of events. Most people believe that fate is predestined and nothing can be changed. But even a person 's fate is determined by a complex combination of conditions and factors. It includes the choices people make according to the tendencies of their own mind, each time they encounter a specific circumstance. In the play of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, the protagonists believe that their lives are controlled by destiny and luck. However, they had ability to choose what they wanted to do and change their fortune over their lives. Although fate seemed to influence what happened to Romeo and Juliet, their choices ultimately contributed to the result of tragedy because they made their
After Romeo is misled about his beloved Juliet 's death, he desperately finds for "a rainstiff wretch [who] would sell [the poison to] him"(V.ii.35). This demonstrates his immaturity and youthfulness as he were guided by his emotions instead of rational thinking. Because his heart was torn with sorrow, he was not able to make a sagacious decision taking into account the subject carefully. Romeo could have waited for Friar Laurence 's message to come as Friar told him he will contrive a clandestine plan to resolve the problem between Romeo and Juliet. It was his choice alone to kill himself, no one forced him to do it. If Romeo would had kept it together and mourned properly, he would have lived happily with Juliet. Furthermore, Juliet also decides to take the same action. Instead of searching for a new way of living, she hoped for "some poison yet doth hang on [Romeo]/ to make [her] die with a restorative"(V.iii.163-167). This clearly illustrates how they used the power of decision making unwisely. Juliet was too indiscreet to disobey her parents and follow her lover who she knew only for a couple of days. Both of these characters did not recognize the power of love and caused a self destructive violence. Romeo 's tragic flow was proved to be fatal when he was unable to see the consequences of his decisions. His downfall spiral was determined

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