William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

A play about Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, is a fateful tragedy about two star- crossed lovers who were destined to be both together and apart from the beginning of the play. From the beginning of the story, a fateful chain of events lead Romeo and Juliet to each other. The drive and the force that was leading them to fall in love with each other, in an extraordinary circumstances, and to be apart in life and death, was fate itself. Fate plays a critical role in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Both of the star-crossed lovers inevitably realize throughout the play that they cannot be together (as described in the prologue) due to the hate and rivalry in the houses of Capulet and Montague, and due to the fate itself, which wasn’t on their side.

Fate played a big part in lives of Romeo and Juliet. A significant factor in support of this notion is that, importantly, both Romeo and Juliet believed in fate. It might have been a thing of their times, however when people believe in something strongly enough, it has a higher chance of happening. An example of Romeo’s strong belief in fate and predestination to have a short life is clearly illustrated by his saying, (1.4.105-110), “Some consequences yet hanging in the stars…by some vile forfeit of untimely death. But he that hath the steerage over my course direct my sail…” “...He that hath steerage over my course..." This example clearly illustrates the fact that Romeo does not believe in the life of his own making. This is not to be taken to believe that Romeo is not confident or self-assured. It is to be understood in a way that Romeo believes that there is some higher purpose, some higher meaning to his life, besides the obvious, which is directed from something or someone above. “…He that hath steerage over my course” illustrates that Romeo does not think that he is controlling his life, on the contrary he is asking for a right way, for guidance, for a right steerage in a right direction. Romeo saw in his dream that he will die a young man and asks fate to direct him in a right way. The fact that Romeo believes in dreams makes us come to a realization that Romeo is also a very emotional young man. His extreme emotionality is going to have a higher significance towards the end of the play.