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What is role of fate in romeo and juliet
Romeo and juliet themes
Themes of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
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A theme is a central idea that appears throughout a play, the themes also tie events of a play together and give the work meaning and purpose. To explore a play’s central theme, think about the message that the playwright wants to express. What is the significance of the play? Does it explore a moral issue? Can most people identify with it?
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
Which once again brings out the themes of love and fate. Romeo is blaming this tragic turn of events on fate.
“ I defy you stars” signals foreshadowing (“take their life”).
The phrase “take their life” has a double implication. In this context it means “ending their lives” it hints at taking one’s life as in committing suicide. The audience learns that Romeo and Juliet are destined to die.
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. “Go ask his name: if he be married./My grave is like to be my wedding bed”
In the prologue, Shakespeare uses phrases such as “death-marked love” and “star-cross’d lovers” to show that fortune and fate are responsible for the tragedy. Shakespeare also describes Romeo and Juliet’s defiance of their parents as “misadventured piteous overthrows.” This description suggests that the lovers’ efforts to be together will be hopeless against what fate has in store for
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.
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.
“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.
From the beginning of the play it is clear that Romeo and Juliet are doomed to die, They are considered victims of circumstance but the question is did they have responsibility for their fate? Could things have been different? Was it a bad series of events, was it a coincidence that fate was against them, were outside forces against them, It is not just a coincidence the language used in the prologue 'star-crossed lovers' and 'death-marked love' shows that it was all meant to happen from the beginning of the play, the words 'star-crossed' refers to an astrological outlook on destiny that was widely accepted in the period the play was written in, reference to this so early in the play creates a sense of anticipation for the audience and from the start they know what is going to be the outcome of the play but the question left on their minds is 'Why?' and 'How?'
Another main explored theme in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet was Fate, Chance and Freewill all vital factors in the eventual death of Romeo and Juliet. Already in the Prologue ‘A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life’ Act 1 Scene 1 Line 6, Shakespeare has established the inevitability of fate by using metadrama to communicate to the audience the ending and showing the audience that the events that occur in the play all led to the eventual downfall of the tragic hero who thinks he is defying fate but in reality he is simply following its course. This quote ‘O, I am fortune's fool.’ Act 3 Scene 3, line 127 explicitly showcases this theme by discreetly referencing the prologue. Romeo is finally aware that all of the actions
Once again during the Capulet’s ball after Romeo kissed Juliet, Juliet went to the Nurse and asked for which house Romeo belonged to. “My grave is like to be my wedding bed” (1.5.149). Juliet says this right after she learns that Romeo belong to her opposing house, the Montagues. The premonition of fate again creates a negative tendency of thinking in Juliet’s mind. To her, much like Romeo, all is already decided and there is no hope in her love not resulting in her death. This also adds to the role of fate acting as a ceiling and the audience getting a reminder that they could die at any moment. At the very end of the play when fate has begun to run its course and Romeo has killed himself, Juliet and Friar stand inside the Capulet Tomb where that unfortunate event took place. The Friar began to explain, “A greater power than we can contradict hath thwarted our intents” (5.3.158-159). At this point, fate is introduced as its own character in a way. The Friar is not seeing fate as just a concept that it exists but rather a “greater power.” In this sense, he believes that fate just screwed them over and the whole situation was out of his hands because all of this was predestined. Fate as a catalyst alters the thinking of the characters and makes them act
The theme of Romeo and Juliet is about a love destined to end in tragedy.
The idea of fate and destiny has caught the attention of many writers, one of them being William Shakespeare. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses foreshadowing to show the power of destiny between Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers. Learning that Romeo and Juliet’s fate is in the stars introduces a major theme to the reader; the power of destiny. Throughout the play, there are intense senses and lines that foreshadow the fate of Romeo, Juliet, the Capulet’s, and the Montague’s.
Throughout the play, it is clearly shown that fate has a huge role in the “star-crossed lovers” dire downfall. This is written in the prologue to foreshadow the ending. The prologue provides the audience with Romeos thought provoking promotion further warming the reader of the omnipresent force of fate which is looking over him, “Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars.” Here Shakespeare use literary techniques such as a metaphor to demonstrates that there is a deathly consequence written in fate for Romeo. Overall this provides the reader with the knowledge of what Romeo is thinking and foreshadows the end of the story. Shakespeare uses clever diction to imply that Juliet’s death is inevitable, "If all else fail, myself have power to die.” This clearly illustrates that fate is involved in the upcoming disaster. Not only have the lovers realized that there is a greater fore involved, but Friar Lawrence has too realized, “a greater power than we can contradict, hath thwarted our intents.” This shows that fate is a subjugate factor in the lover’s untimely
The relationship of Romeo and Juliet expresses the true definition of “star-crossed lovers” by telling the reader in the beginning of the book that their relationship will be doomed to fail. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare strategically uses the literary device dramatic irony to show the readers of the play that Romeo and Juliet are star crossed lovers. From the beginning to the end of the book the audience knows the events that will take place creating a large impact on the character. By establishing Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed at the beginning of the play and making them truly star-crossed in the end, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to convey the central idea that love is an overpowering and intense
“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.
The first five lines of the prologue aren’t about love, but they are about hatred. As the prologue is in the form of a chorus and choruses generally repeat throughout the play, it signifies that hate will be an eminent theme during Romeo and Juliet. There are many death and war references in the prologue which could suggest that Shakespeare is trying to introduce an important theme in the play, which is hate. Romeo and Juliet are described as “star crossed lovers” and as having “death-marked love.” The image of a cross is negative and reminds us of death, as according to the Christian religion Jesus dies on a cross, also the phrase “death marked” also refers to death, these images can be linked with hate, this stresses that love and hate are undividable throughout Romeo and Juliet.
In Romeo and Juliet a significantly horrendous ending takes place, but with Shakespeare's use of foreshadowing he is able to keep the reader from being overly traumatized. For example, when Juliet and Romeo are discussing plans Juliet says, "O God, I have an ill-divining soul! / Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low, / As one dead in the bottom of the tomb"(lll,v,14-56). Juliet has mixed feelings about the arrangement devised by the Friar so that the two of them can be together. Juliet thinks disaster will come of previous tactics developed to allow Romeo and her to be together. In addition, when Romeo is speaking of his love for Juliet he says, "And but thou love me, let them find me here. / My life were better ended by there hate / Then death prorogued, wanting of thy love"(ll,ii,75-77). Romeo's immense love for Juliet will eventually lead to the fall of himself. Death lingers throughout the play between Romeo and his love, Juliet. In conclusion, when Juliet is thinking about Romeo she says, "Give me Romeo; and when he shall die / Take him and cut him out in little stars, / And he will make the face of heaven so fine / That all the world will be in love with night," (lll,ii,21-25). This suggests that in the play Romeo will end up dying and Juliet will be there to see it. Juliet prophesizes over many topics in the play and in the end they become true. Foreshadowing is used in this play to help the audience trounce the dreadful outcome.
Cheesy star crossed lovers, magic in the air, lovers turn to suicide, magic turns into
To begin with, the theme of fate over freewill is brought up recurrently in the catastrophic play, Romeo and Juliet. Before the beginning of the play, Shakespeare introduces the idea of fate within the prologue. “A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life [sic]” (Shakespeare, Act 1 Prologue L.6). The term “star crossed lovers” is used to...