The Role Of Fate In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

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“When two people are meant to be together, they will be together. It is fate” (Gruen 273). This is a quote that the author, Sara Gruen, stated in her book, “Water for Elephants”, which is also about a love story. This quote makes it evident that Romeo and Juliet were meant to be together, and they were together, but only eternally; that is why fate made them meet each other. There are several characters in William Shakespeare`s Romeo and Juliet whose fates were already predestined, especially the main characters themselves, Romeo and Juliet.  The outcome of Romeo and Juliet was a result of the characters’ fate and not individual choices. It is fate that made Romeo and Juliet meet each other and fall in love, despite the fact that their families …show more content…

The prologue states that fate is against Romeo and Juliet’s love. It says that their love is "death-marked," and they have no control over what happens. It is their misfortune that leads to the catastrophic ending of the play.


Romeo and Juliet’s meeting was also because of fate. Capulet’s servant approached Romeo and Benvolio to read the names on a list of people invited to Capulet’s masque instead of anyone else. Romeo decided to got to Capulet’s masque. In addition, Romeo climbed over the wall of Capulet’s orchard and just happened to find himself right under Juliet’s balcony. He had overheard Juliet’s soliloquy: “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? / Deny thy father and refuse thy name; / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (Shakespeare 2.2.33-36).  Fate also had a role in the series of accidents that ruined Friar Laurence’s plan and the tragic timing of Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s awakening. It cannot all be a coincidence that, out of everyone, the servant came to Romeo, Romeo was able to trespass into Capulet’s house and meet Juliet, and Romeo ended up right under Juliet’s balcony. Consequently, this leads to Romeo and Juliet falling in love. It has to be fate that predestined the meeting …show more content…

Juliet states that she will die if she cannot marry Romeo and, though she does not know it, she will die even if she does. The lines read literally, “My husband will be Death.” Death is mentioned many times in the play as Juliet’s ultimate lover. Also, Friar Laurence told Romeo: “These violent delights have violent ends” (Shakespeare 2.6.9). This can propose that something bad is going to happen in the future. It is an example of fate and foreshadowing. When Mercutio was in his final moments, he cursed the Montagues and Capulets, and said: “A plague O’ both your houses” (Shakespeare 3.1.105)! This can also be seen as foreshadowing, since later in the play, both the families are in grief for losing their children. Romeo tells Benvolio: “This day’s black fate on more days doth depend. / This but begins the woe others must end” (Shakespeare 3.1.118-119). These lines mean that the future will be affected by that day’s terrible events, including Romeo’s banishment. It was an ominous prediction. Upon hearing Juliet's refusal to marry Paris, Lady Capulet says her wishes "I would the fool were married to her grave” (Shakespeare 3.5.141)! The image of Juliet's grave as her wedding bed foresees her and Romeo’s tragic reunion in death. Romeo has a premonition in the form of a dream that he was dead and Juliet woke him up with a kiss. These lines also foreshadow the

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