Fate Versus Free Will in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

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Romeo and Juliet, the classic tragedy written by William Shakespeare, is often categorized into the lesson of fate versus free will. “The deliberate construction of the play so that its action seems to lead inevitably to the catastrophe of the young lovers' deaths is known as Shakespeare's "tragic design." (Overview of Romeo and Juliet) William Shakespeare wants the audience to realize that Romeo and Juliet are destined to cross paths, hence the title of “star-crossed lovers”. Numerous tricks of chance in the play support this theory: for example, Romeo's failed attempt to stop the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt and Friar John's inability to leave Verona due to the plague. References to "fortune" and "the stars" throughout the play, particularly the description of Romeo and Juliet in the Prologue to Act I as "star-crossed lovers," also uphold this argument.” (Overview of Romeo and Juliet)
The feud between the Montagues and the Capulets had been going on long before Romeo and Juliet even met. This feud was one of the reasons why they were fated to meet. It was fate that caused o...

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