The Role of Fate and Coincidence in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

The Role of Fate and Coincidence in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Introduction

Fate and coincidence is a dominant theme throughout the play Romeo and

Juliet. The word fate generally creates confusion when used with the

word coincidence. The definition of fate is "Power supposed to

predetermine events ahead of time," and coincidence, "Remarkable

concurrence of events, apparently by chance." Therefore these two

words are similar; however, many people believe that there is no such

thing as fate, others think there is no such thing as coincidence

though in this essay they are both treated as true.

Astrology uses the positions of stars and planets to predict people

future and their fate. This has been used for thousands of years, the

Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used it and it is still in use today and

can be found in newspapers, televisions, internet and even through the

phone.

The Bible on many occasions forbids the knowing of your fate and

future: in the old testament, Deuteronomy 18, Verses 10-11 " There

must never be anyone among you who…practises divination, who is a

soothsayer " the Bible also forbids the knowing of the future in

Samuel and in the new testament in Acts.

William Shakespeare expresses the dangers of fate in his play

"Macbeth" where Macbeth kills his king Duncan as a result from the

prophecy of the three witches Banquo, Macbeth's friend, warns him

about the knowing of the future "But tis strange and often times to

win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us

with honest trifles to betray us in deepest consequence." Fate is

referred to here as the "instrument of darkness"

Shakespeare also uses the idea that gods are in control of our fate in

King Lear: "like flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, they kill us

for their sport." He says to Gloucester after he had been rudely

blinded. As Shakespeare used fate and coincidence in many of his plays

it must have been a dramatic role that involved his audience then and