Jacob Spear Mrs. Murk Honors English 1 30 January 2014 Inescapable Fate Many people don 't believe that fate even exists. These people feel that one controls his or her own future. But in the case of the play, Romeo and Juliet written by Willian Shakespeare, this is not true. Romeo and Juliet is a story about two "star-crossed lovers" who ultimately die due to their fate. Since the moment they first time they met, things began in motion. These two lovers could not have done anything to change their course of fate, thus, why the story of Romeo and Juliet is a story controlled by fate, rather than a tragedy. In the very first act of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare clearly states that the play is controlled by fate. In the prologue, it states that "a pair of star-cross 'd lovers take their life" (I. Prologue. 5-6). Shakespeare refers to them as star-crossed lovers because they are doomed due to the position of the planets when they were born. In other words, he is saying that these two lovers will die because of fate and will have no way of preventing it. Later in that act, shortly after meeting Juliet, Romeo says, I fear, too early: for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night 's revels and expire the term Of a despised life, clos 'd in my breast, By some vile forfeit of untimely death. (I. iv. 106-111) Romeo is saying he has a premonition that he will be controlled by fate and eventually lead to a
Fate is defined as, ‘the development of events outside a person’s control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power’. In the time in which ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was written, many people were strong believers of fate and it was a common belief in society. William Shakespeare was a famous poet who is recognised for his powerful writing and contribution to the English language. One of William Shakespeare’s highly recognised plays is ‘Romeo and Juliet’ written in the late 1500’s. It is a play about two star-crossed lovers alongside fate who by their death end the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. In ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Friar Laurence is not to blame for the tragic events which occurs in the play due to the fact that other
Aristotle proposed what is believed to be the first definition of a true tragedy. Specifically, he states that a tragedy triggers great pity and fear caused by the main characters’ actions alone. Likewise, a true tragedy lacks coincidence and fate plays little in the overall play. William Shakespeare writes the play of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in which the audience knows the destiny of these two tragic heroes from the very beginning. Although this play is tragic knowing that the lives of two lovers are lost, it is not a tragedy as Romeo and Juliet are not solely responsible for their own deaths. Destiny is determined through the hands of greater forces than that of Romeo and Juliet, making this play merely tragic and not a true
'I do but keep the peace put up thy sword, or manage it to part these
Fate has always been of interest to society, and even today, people continue to question whether someone’s life is destined for a certain fate, or if it is shaped by their own free-will. Such thoughts come into play throughout various acts and scenes of Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s play often strongly suggests that Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is built upon fate and free-will. There are many critics who argue fate is what makes up this play in its entirety due to the various fate related ideas evoked throughout it. Although fate does indeed play some roles in the shaping of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, overall, it is free-will that plays a much greater role throughout their tragedy and is ultimately at work in this play.
There are numerous warnings of fate in the play; all are ignored. Before the Capulet party, Romeo senses fate presence and he will be bound to it after that night. He feels there is “some consequence yet hanging in the stars” but ignores the signs and goes anyway. Luhrmann heightens the significance of this line by fading out non-diegetic sound and having Romeo look at the starts, which as supposedly commanding his destiny. Fate is also personified as cruelly taunting the characters, Later Juliet knows things are moving too fast, but doesn’t have the power to control her own emotions. “I have no joy of the contract tonight, it is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden” Another warning sign has been ignored.
The Montague and Capulet feud is one between the two families that starts off in the play as a rather petty one but what happens is this “ancient grudge break to new mutiny” which causes the ordeal to increase significantly in seriousness. The feud between Romeo and Juliet’s families becomes so hate driven that “the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which but their children’s death, naught could remove” And this includes the other lives lost such as Tybalt and Mercutio’s which just fires up the families even more. Romeo and Juliet both commit suicide and this is in fact what finally convinces both families to bury the hatchet and quell the feud.
In Act I of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare skillfully cultivates themes of love, fate, and conflict using the techniques of foreshadowing and symbolism, ultimately setting the stage for the inevitable tragedy of the star-crossed lovers. From the beginning, Romeo and Juliet are depicted as “a pair of star-crossed lovers” who experience “death-marked love” (1.Prologue.6-9). Being “star-crossed lovers” means their love is inescapably doomed by tragedy because it has already been written in the stars. Their families’ feud leads them to experience a death-marked love, as their families will not let them be together. Shakespeare, therefore, insinuates that Romeo and Juliet’s forbidden love will ultimately lead to their deaths.
As one of the most complex characters in the play, Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio’s purpose is to act as a static catalyst for the death of most of the characters. Shakespeare uses Mercutio’s character cleverly as the kind of character that stays in the background, but influences the rest of the cast in the utmost amount. Mercutio’s light and occasionally sardonic humor at inapt times relieves the play from being a complete tragedy and allows the audience a false sense of security before calamity strikes, such as the death of his character. Mercutio also stands as a consistent character to prove that despite the fact that the majority of Shakespeare’s characters are unpredictable and impulsive, there has to be at least one character to steady
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet loved each other, but they knew that it wouldn't be possible to have a relationship because of their feuding families. Their deaths were tragic, as it was mainly the people around them that made them so unhappy. They were so in love with each other that they took risks to be together, which lead to their unfortunate deaths. Romeo is a Montague. He falls in love with Juliet the moment he sees her at a Capulet ball.
In the play, “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, fate is utilized to control the actions of society throughout the play, ultimately causing the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, through foreshadowing, allusions, and symbolism. Shakespeare utilizes fate to foreshadow future events in the play. Before the party, where Romeo eventually would meet Juliet, he discusses a dream to Mercutio, “ Some consequence yet hanging in the stars/ Shall bitterly begin his fearful date/ With this night’s revels and expire the term/Of a despised life, closed in my breast/
“A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,” In “Romeo and Juliet” Shakespeare uses diction and foreshadowing to suggest that fate is bound to happen and the decisions you make can’t change it. It was fate that would have Romeo meet Juliet and eventually dying. And Nothing was able to stop it.
In the play, Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, is about two “star crossed” lovers who are destined to end in a tragic accident. Fate is the path that leads to the future and cannot be altered no matter the outcome. Set in Shakespearean time, fate was believed to be in control of people’s lives. The fact that Romeo and Juliet would never live a peaceful life, none of the tragedies would have not taken place if they had not met. In the prologue of the play, Shakespeare outlines that “two star’d crossed lovers take their life”. This foreshadowing creates the sense that fate shall claim superiority. The powerful nature of Romeo
In the play of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, William Shakespeare explores the idea of fate, through the characters experiences. The play was taken place during the Elizabethan Era where the social norms were completely different to those today and the idea of fate was well and truly believed by the society. Shakespeare incorporates this concept of fate in different ways, he makes references to celestial bodies, employs premonitions and orchestrates events where Romeo and Juliet have no prior knowledge off. He introduces the two young lovers as ‘star-crossed’, which means their relationship is destined to end in tragedy and this is supported by events that occur in the play. Specific events
Romeo and Juliet is a classic love story written by William Shakespeare, in the Elizabethan era of English history. The work tells of the fatal attraction between Romeo and Juliet, how they met and why, their falling in love and their ultimate sacrifice for each other’s love, their actual lives. Fate has complete control, is a theme that is riddled throughout the text written by Shakespeare. It is essentially pointing out the view that everything we do or will, is at the mercy of fate, and whatever we do to counteract it, fate still holds the final judgement over our lives. This theme is also prevalent in cinematic codes written into both the visual representations of the Shakespearean love story by Franco Zefirelli and Baz Luhrmann. Two
Romeo and Juliet is a story of a forbidden love, written by William Shakespeare. Some may say that it is a tragedy of fate. Fate is defined as forces outside of your control that makes things happen. An example of fate is when you miss your bus and meet the person who will turn out to be your spouse while you’re standing on the platform waiting on the next bus. I think Romeo and Juliet is the exact opposite of fate, they undoubtedly took things into their own hands.