In Romeo and Juliet, a play by Shakespeare, the characters are subject to fate and destiny and hence, have no control, whatsoever, over their lives. Shakespeare repeatedly refers to fate, the idea of a predetermined future or a hidden power beyond anyone’s control through various techniques. There is a sense of inexorable doom throughout the whole play which is made evident through the characters’ repetitive acknowledgement of destiny, as well as the constant foreshadowing and coincidences that take place. Romeo and Juliet have their entire lives played out according to fate and destiny which is obvious through the many references to their predestined future.
The various characters of the play recognise destiny and fate for playing a role
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The Capulets send out an illiterate servant to deliver invitations for a party, who just so happens to ask Romeo for help, ‘can you read anything you see?’ (1.2.60). This encounter originally encourages Romeo to attend the party in hopes of seeing Rosaline, but he ends up meeting Juliet, who he falls madly in love with, ‘did my heart love till now?’ (1.5.51), even though by social relation she happens to be his ‘great enemy’ (1.5.136). It is quite an ironic coincident that Romeo goes to the party to find Rosaline, the girl he loved to find Juliet, the girl he loves so much that he dies for her. Romeo’s response to the servant, ‘Ay, mine own fortune in my misery’ (1.2.58), could be interpreted as him recognising fate playing a role of misery his love life. A series of unlucky coincidences involve Romeo not receiving Friar Laurence’s letter in Mantua, causing Romeo much distress, which led him to buy poison from an Apothecary who, coincidentally, sells it to Romeo only because ‘my poverty, but not my will, consents’ (5.2.75). Romeo arrives at the tomb to find Juliet “dead”, provoking him to drink the poison, ‘Here’s to my love!’ (5.3.119). Moments later, Juliet wakes up to realise Romeo is dead and she too is prepared to ‘die with a restorative’ (5.3.166). Curtesy to fate, the Friar’s letter did not reach Romeo in Mantua which encouraged Romeo to buy poison, which it had to be from an Apothecary in need of money. This led to another unfortunate coincidence of Romeo killing himself by Juliet's side just moments before she woke up. The many coincidences that take place throughout the play are clear examples to prove that Romeo and Juliet lived their entire lives according to their predetermined
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
“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.
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.
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.
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.
think this is the case as, in spite of his arrogance, he does care for
The theme of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is entertainment. This is proven thought the play through use of comedy, drama, romance, and conflict. This style brought people of all ages, mindsets, and social classes to see the play since it used the mixture instead of just a single genre of entertainment. The result was Romeo and Juliet being very entertaining, profitable, and generally succeeding in its purpose.
Throughout all of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar, the role of fate and foreshadowing sculpt the plays in their entirety. The story of two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, is a play written based on the ideas of fate and foreshadowing. For the duration of the play, the audience is reminded of the characters’ fates. This infers that there is something negative to come.
In Romeo and Juliet fate is evidently a major theme occurring in the play. For instance, people believed the future was written in the stars. In its first address to the audience, the Chorus states that Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed lovers”, that is to say that fate (meaning a power often vested in the movements of the stars) controls them. This sense of fate permeates the play, and not just for
It is vital that main characters in the play regarded themselves as having no free will and considered themselves to be controlled by fate. Several times in the play they deliberately made choices to try to defy fate, and all bad results of their own actions are blamed on destiny. An example would be just before Romeo kills himself, saying
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?
“What's meant to be will always find a way,” claimed Trisha Yearwood on the theme of fate. “Romeo and Juliet” was undoubtedly one of the most well-known romantic tragedies written by William Shakespeare. It centred around two lovers from feuding families, who take their own lives. Their deaths ironically created an atmosphere where their love could freely flourish for it reconciled the two families. We were introduced to the play by a prologue that concretely mentions Fate’s influence on the course of the story. Attempting to antagonize destiny had proven to have been pointless throughout the tragedy. The greatest land mine prepared by Fate on Romeo and Juliet was the sudden plague in Mantua which triggered the finishing bombs to relentlessly explode, leaving not a single drop of hope in their lives. The cruise of Romeo and Juliet’s lives had never been theirs to decide from the beginning. They were merely little sailboats blown across the waters by a completely overwhelming force—Fate.
What really controls the future, one's own actions, or predetermined fate? In the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, the theme of fate versus free will is a relevant discourse. Characters, throughout the story, will often base their actions on their belief in fate. Sadly, the accumulation of all of the character's actions leads to tragedy. Through the work of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare demonstrates that people who believe in predetermined fate highlight their ignorance when faced with the unforeseen consequences of their actions.
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.
He had a way of blending fate and character-flaws together, but he also provided the viewer with instances in which the characters aren’t completely helpless and victims of their own fate, but they are in fact a helping hand to their own tragic downfall. The imagery and language of fate is supported by the restrains of free will throughout the plays. All of Shakespeare’s protagonist go through a transformation of character where they develop as a character because they are able to acknowledge who they have become. Shakespeare’s lack of clarity added a mysterious element in Romeo and Juliet by having blurred the lines between the work from fate and the consequences from the actions of the characters with in the story. This inability to solve the problems within the plays continually draws us in, to reread or reexperience the performances of the plays despite the audience knowing the outcome.