FATE AND REALITY IN ROMEO AND JULIET
             Romeo and Juliet, the classic tragedy by William Shakespeare, revolves around two "star-crossed lovers"(I, i, l.6), or characters whose lives are regulated by fate. Everything they do, as well as everything that will ever happen to them, they have no control over. This is a ridiculous concept because as humans, we have the intelligence to make decisions that will guide us on our own paths through life. This is the reason that fate does not exist.
             Everyday we do things that will affect our future. We make judgements and take chances that can change things forever. Likewise, we can follow a daily routine and have nothing change for years. Everything depends on what we do and how we do it. Only we, our peers, and our population control them-not fate.
             Even in Romeo and Juliet, there are many decisions a character could have made that would have prevented the tragic ending. For example, if Romeo had controlled himself after Tybalt killed Mercutio, he wouldn't have been banished. If he were allowed to stay in Verona, then his and Juliet's families could have worked out the marriage and everybody would be happy. Fate had nothing to do with it; it was just a bad decision on Romeo's part.
             Many people might argue that a number of things, such as random car accidents and meeting a life-long love, are destined to happen. They think that if something is foreordained, there is no avoiding it. No matter what one does, it must happen. This stance on the issue is absurd. For instance, a car accident happens by fault of one of the drivers, because of a mistake that they make. Moreover, meeting someone special is just an example of being at the right place at the right time. If they decided to go someplace else first or not to go out at all, the two would have never met. It is only a question of the person, and what they choose to do.
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