Romeo & Juliet-Fate vs Action

While Romeo and Juliet had the final choice to kill themselves, their circumstances meant that their love was always going to be ill fated (Romeo foreshadows this before the party, "My mind misgives some consequence yet hanging in the stars" – Act 1, Scene 4). The importance of fate can be determined by how much control Romeo and Juliet have over what happens, and while they control their lives, they can't change what is ‘yet hanging in the stars’. In the quote, Romeo speaks of a 'consequence' because although fate is play

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The deaths of Romeo and Juliet were fated because of factors including: their family history, the society they lived in, its conventions and their love for each other.

Coincidence is an important aspect of fate. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet are considered tragic not because of the fact that they killed themselves, indeed that was more an act of love, but rather because their deaths were preventable and that circumstances seemed to conspire so cruelly against the young lovers. ing a role, it does not mean that he cannot influence the situation, he can make choices, but these choices will inevitably have consequences and the consequences have already been decided. This choice, however, is made under the false impression that Juliet is dead, and when Romeo, in his last act of defiance kills himself, he does so because of an unhappy coincidence that leaves him a victim of the fate which has been prophesised since the prologue of the play and truly, to use his own words, ‘Fortune's fool’ (“O, I am Fortune’s fool. Friar Lawrence agreed to help Romeo and Juliet with the best of intentions but the timing, or coincidences, that led to the downfall of his otherwise workable plan are to blame for the lovers dying as they did. While the characters live their lives - violent, peaceful or otherwise - the fate of Romeo and Juliet operates irrespective of all this and makes them puppets.

When Romeo hears that Juliet is dead he says, "Then I defy you, stars!" – Act 5, Scene 1, and heads out to defy fate by making the choice to kill himself. The prologue states that their families’ troubles had come to a stage where Romeo and Juliet had a ‘death-mark'd love’, as the ‘ancient grudge’ had to be headed for disaster.

Although Romeo refers to someone controlling fate (“But He that hath the steerage of my course / Direct my sail!” – Act 1, Scene 4), it does not have to be determined by a 'god' or divine power.

Romeo and Juliet's fate was created by human action before they were born but once destined it was unchangeable by any human action.

Common topics in this essay:
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Approximate Word count = 506
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

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