Romeo and Juliet

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Shakespeare in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet depicts the conflict between fate and free will through use of his characters’ actions and beliefs. Fate is the main driving force between the demise of the two main protagonists. Because of it, superstition, the actions of others, and the idea of chance are allowed a main role in the play building up to events that lead to a tragic end.

The main protagonists of the play are victims of fate’s cruelty. Many events that directly affect Romeo and Juliet’s lives are brought about by the harmless actions of others. The reason they were even able to meet was because of a servant’s mistake: “My master is the great rich Capulet; and if you not be of the house of the Montagues, I pray come and crush a cup of wine” (1.2.82-83). Capulet’s servant was simply looking for anyone to help him read a list of invites when he ran into Romeo. He had no intention of inviting a Montague, but he accidently did, simply because Romeo helped him out. If the servant had not crashed into him, Romeo and Juliet would have never had a chance to meet, and therefore no chance to fall in love and then die. Similarly, Friar John played an indirect role in their deaths: “I could not send it—here it is again—/ Nor get a messenger to bring it to thee” (5.3.14-15). This is towards the end of the play when Friar John was supposed to give a letter to Romeo, explaining that Juliet was alive, but in a coma, and waiting for him to get her. Friar John has no ill-intentions when he says he can’t get the message to Romeo. He is completely oblivious to the content of the message and simply gets held up to a point where sending the message isn’t a possibility. Friar John doesn’t realize that the message he is intended to send to Ro...

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...st, and let me die” (5.3.169-70). Seeing that her love has fallen, in a final attempt to be together, she decides to take her own life like Romeo did his. She kisses Romeo one last time and realizes his lips are still warm, confirming that he had just died, and if she had only woken a few moments earlier they could both be happy right now. It was simply coincidence that she decided to wake up right after the event. Nobody could have controlled or change what happened from the time between Romeo’s death and Juliet’s. It was simply fate shining through in a cruel, ironic twist, and Shakespeare made sure to show that.

Shakespeare utilizes his characters beliefs and superstitions in fate to add a cautioning and foreboding tone to the story. Throughout the entire play, fate dictates the actions of others and ultimately leads Romeo and Juliet to their tragic downfall.

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