Fate or Coincidence in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare’s plays have sparked many debates. I am going to discuss
the question “Is the tragedy of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
a matter of fate or coincidence?”
Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story of two families who have
always quarrelled. Through a series of events, leading up to the hero
and the heroine committing suicide in love, the quarrel is ended.
However, it is important to consider the historical influence on the
play. The people of all Elizabethan classes were very superstitious.
They believed that it was not them who controlled their own actions.
They believed that the stars controlled fate. Fate was very commonly
believed in as the supposed force, principle or power, to predetermine
all events. So, events in future were going to happen, and no stopping
it.
Right from the start of the play, in the Prologue, Romeo and Juliet
are portrayed as “star-crossed” and their love is “death-marked”. This
tells the audience that during the course of the play, all will not
run smoothly, and for Romeo and Juliet, the outcome of their love will
be tragic.
Act 1 Scene 2 contains the first example of Fate. Romeo reads a list
of invites to a party of the Capulets. It just so happens that the
servant had news of the party. This is actually quite an important
part in the play. It leads to Romeo meeting Juliet.
Toward the end of Act 1 Scene 4, an example of fate and destiny is
mentioned by Romeo: “I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,”
This is showing that Romeo believes a turn of events is going to turn
to his tragic death. A point of key diction in this is “fear”. He
fears something. “Mind misgives” is another piece of key diction,
saying he is unsure of something. Bearing in mind that the stars
supposedly control fate of people, he says, “hanging in the stars”.
The stars have something planned.
ned his unfavourable destiny (as having been written in the perpetual book of misfortune). Shakespeare admirably and cleverly utilizes Romeo to develop and convey the substantial theme of fate. Shakespeare ingeniously expresses his view of fate through this renowned literary work, Romeo and Juliet. He conveys that fate exists as the inevitable, unalterable, and omnipotent force that predetermines one's actions, consequences, and thereby one's destiny.
Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is a story of two young lovers. These two hearts, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet belong to feuding families. The family feud causes them to keep their love a secret and therefore only Romeo, Juliet, Benvolio, the Nurse and Friar Lawrence know of their love. Romeo and Juliet are able to look past the feud and let themselves fall in mad love with the other. They let themselves do almost anything for the other and at times it seems like too much to do, even for the one they love. Although fate and character traits play a key role in the play, ultimately Rome and Juliet’s personal choices lead to their downfall.Fate originates all of the conflicts in Romeo and Juliet, from when they met until they die.
William Shakespeare, an English actor and play write, was born in Stratford upon Avon on April 23, 1564. When he was 18 he married Anne Hathaway, a Stratford woman, who was 26 years old. Shakespeare and Hathaway had three children. The first was Susanna and the twins were Hamnet and Judith. Another of Shakespeare's great works of art, Hamnet, was named after Hamnet. Juliet, in Shakespeare's famous play Romeo and Juliet, was named after Judith. Shakespeare died on April 23, 1601. There are many events that contributed to Romeo and Juliet's deaths. These events are either fate or coincidence.
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.
The play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare tells the story of two very young lovers who die. It just appears that fate controlled the outcome of the story. But if you really study and interpret the story you will realize it is a series of a few simple coincidences, which made the outcome so tragic.
think this is the case as, in spite of his arrogance, he does care for
Fate is, according to nonbelievers, just another possibility. Something pondered by scientists and religious leaders, it is to some a mystery whether an event is meant to be with accordance to fate. One could say fate has control over everything, but there is a fault to that theory. A simple explanation to disprove fate is to say if a ball is to be dropped, it would eventually hit the ground. One would most likely speculate gravity pulled the ball to the ground, not fate. This is called the principle of cause and effect, which can be expressed in everyday events. The principle of cause and effect can help to explain events which happens everywhere, even in works of literature. For instance, the play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare displays elements of the principle of cause and effect with the events leading to the death of Romeo and Juliet. Events leading to the lovers' obsession with one another, and the struggles they face. The decisions characters make in Romeo and Juliet ultimately alters their own and other characters' ending. The characters in the play, including Romeo and Juliet themselves, are to blame for their fatal actions. Romeo and Juliet's deaths in the play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare aren't caused by fate, but by a series of preventable and alterable logical occurrences followed by fatal consequences.
Another example of fate and foreshadowing is when Juliet is asserting her free will to marry Romeo. She is saying that she will die unmarried if he is unavailable. Her words foreshadow her death at the end of the play.
Romeo and Juliet is widely known to be a tragedy, but what caused the atrocity for which it is so renowned? Some may argue fate was to blame for Romeo’s and Juliet’s deaths, that the situations these young lovers faced were depicted as being out of their control. Could Romeo have refused to attend the Capulet masque? Was Romeo destined to duel the raging Tybalt? Did Romeo and Juliet truly have to kill themselves? If one considers the specific circumstances and causes of these situations, the fact that all scenarios are the result of choice rather than chance, and the notion that the characters were never left without options, only one conclusion can be determined. It was unarguably the decisions made by characters, not those made by fate, that were responsible for the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet.
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?
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died hours apart on the 50th anniversary of American Independence; July 4, 1826. This is just one example of a famous coincidence. They happen daily and are simply unavoidable. Many writers purposely put coincidences in their work to strengthen their pieces and make them more interesting. Writers from Dr. Suess to J.K. Rowling use coincidences to enhance the meanings of their work.
Many people throughout the play are faced with fate and fate determines the success and worth of there actions. One who is most prominently faced with fate is Macbeth. After his multitude of deceptive and betraying actions it becomes his fate for all that he is done. Macduff speaks on this as he proclaims “Hail, king! For so thou art. Behold where stands the usurper’s cursed head. The time is
Fate may state what will be in one's life however, how that destiny comes about is a matter of man's own choice. In other words, incidents don't occur because our destinies are written. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare expertly uses the theme of fate vs. free will and raises the pre-eminent question of which holds power over the characters. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, fate is not the cause of his downfall, his own desires and choices prove to be the deciding factor.
Predetermined destiny writes out our stories before we experience them and is essential to Romeo and Juliet. The star-cross’d lovers gig basically fueled the whole love-filled dramatic play. Although, Romeo and Juliet both learn this, the hard way, costing their lives, as their love was fated to end in death, unfortunately. In the prologue, lines 6-11 state, “A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whose misadventures piteous overthrows, Do with their death bury their parents’ strife. The fearful passage of their parents’ rage, Which but their children’s end naught could remove” (Beers 807). Due to these lines 6-11, it proves that Romeo and Juliet’s destiny was already written previously in the stars above, and the pair of lovers could do nothing but face it, together, hand in hand, with all that they had left.
Predetermined destiny Though there be a great sea between us that rages with angry voices of disdain i shall cross it to be in your arms again. Many of you my dear readers know this tale. For it is the story of two lovers separated by a great barrier. It is a classic but none is more well known then the story of two lovers who thought death would better life without the other and this story is no other than the story of romeo and juliet.