How Does Fate Affect Romeo And Juliet

Throughout the famous Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet, the idea of fate and chance influences and affects the course of the entire story. During acts one through four, the “star crossed lovers”, are affected both positively and negatively by fate. Fortune, chance, and destiny play a very crucial part of the story as it unfolds. Also, they help us to understand the play.

In the very beginning of the play, chance affects Romeo and Juliet in a positive way. During Act One, Scene Two, one of Capulet’s servants asks Romeo and his cousin, Benvolio, for help. The servant has a list of people whom he needs to invite to the party, but since the servant cannot read, he asks these two gentleman for help. Romeo, still depressed about Rosaline’s

lack of love for him, sees her name on the list and agrees to go, but only to see Rosaline. The chances of the servant asking Romeo and Benvolio are very slim, but for the plot to begin, Romeo needs to meet Juliet; whom he will meet at the party that he reads about from the servant’s list. This is another important example of how chance and fate play such a recurring role in the play of Romeo and Juliet. Another example of this kind of effect on the play is during Act One, Scene Four. When Romeo and Juliet first meet, we see how chance has affected them in what seems to be a new, romantic, and excitingly good way, but turns out to be just the opposite. When walking into the Capulet’s party, Romeo expresses his bad feelings towards the party. “Shall bitterly begin his fearful date, With this night’s revels, and expire the term, By some vile forfeit of untimely death.” He is expressing how he thinks that this party will be the start of something bad that will lead to his death. What he is saying is true because this night will begin his romance with Juliet, which will eventually lead to his death.

One of the key examples of fate and chance changing Romeo and Juliet’s fate was Paris’ marriage proposal to Juliet. In Act One, Scene Two, Paris asks Capulet for Juliet’s hand in marriage. Capulet refuses and says, “My child is yet a stranger in the world. Let two more
summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.” His expressions about waiting until Juliet is a few years older changes later on in the play. Capulet decides that Juliet is of proper age to be married. He then says a few days later, “O’Thursday let it be. O’Thursday, tell her, She shall be married to this noble earl.” In my opinion, it is very coincidental that Capulet changes his mind about Juliet being of age or not to marry this quickly. This is another prime example of how Romeo and Juliet’s fate is determined by forces beyond their control.

In Act Three, there is a very significant example of how chance affects Romeo and Juliet’s love story.

In Act Three, Scene One, Juliet’s hot headed cousin, Tybalt, challenges Romeo to a duel. “I am for you,” he says, drawing his sword. Romeo refuses, but his brave and equally hot headed friend, Mercutio, steps in to fight Tybalt. Mercutio ends up dying and Romeo, enraged by his death, kills Tybalt for revenge. The Prince decides to banish Romeo as punishment. This fight takes place on the same day that Romeo and Juliet are married. Juliet is waiting for nightfall so that she and Romeo can spend their wedding night together. “And bring in cloudy night immediately. Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night, Romeo, Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen. Come, civil night, all in black.” Little does Juliet know that Romeo has now been banished for the murder of Tybalt. This is an example of how chance and fate affected Romeo and Juliet because this fight that causes Romeo to be banished just happens to take place on the same day that Romeo and Juliet could be together. It is purely chance that Tybalt chose this day to challenge Romeo to a duel. Act Five has one of the final and most chance-filled circumstances. Friar Lawrence concocts a plan to allow Romeo and Juliet to be together. He gives Juliet a potion that will let her sleep for 42 hours and appear dead. The Friar then says that Romeo, who has been banished to Mantua, will receive a letter to come back secretly

and he and the now-awake Juliet will be able to go and live together in Mantua. However, after Juliet takes the potion and appears to be dead, her family announce her death and Romeo’s friend, Balthasar, find out about her death. He then goes to tell Romeo about her death and ends up telling Romeo before Friar Lawrence’s assistant can tell Romeo about the plan. “News from Verona-How now, Balthasar? Dost thou not bring me letters from the friar?” This is one example of how chance played such a crucial role in the ending of Romeo and Juliet. If Friar Lawrence’s assistant had reached Romeo before Balthasar did, something purely determined by faith, then Romeo would not have taken the poison to die with Juliet. A final example of how faith negatively affected Romeo and Juliet’s relationship was at the very end of the play. When Romeo reaches Juliet in the tomb, he takes the potion in order to “die” with Juliet. It just happens that Romeo takes the poison the second before Juliet wakes up. If by chance, she had woken up sooner or he had taken the potion just a little later, they both would have survived and the plan would have worked.

In my opinion, chance and fate played the most important part of the tragic ending and plot of Romeo and Juliet. Without chance, Romeo and Juliet would have been an exciting, romantic comedy instead of a tragedy. I believe that chance and fate determined the conclusion of one of the most famous plays that Shakespeare wrote.