Closed Curtains In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Fate: the Puppet Master behind Closed Curtains

Fate is an outside force that contains the power to make or break lives. Fate caused the happiest and darkest moments in the lives of Romeo and Juliet. The two met and fell in love quickly. After a series of events, Romeo killed Juliet’s cousin as an act of vengeance. Having committed murder, Romeo was banished. Friar Lawrence, a friend, came up with a plan to aid Romeo’s predicament. However, Friar Lawrence’s plan failed at the hands of fate. Similar to Friar Lawrence’s plan failing, Romeo and Juliet’s meeting and Romeo’s banishment were both caused by fate. Fate decides the lives and deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

The meeting of the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet would not have happened if it was

This is evident after Tybalt kills Romeo’s good friend, Mercutio, Romeo seeks revenge and kills Tybalt. The prince then punishes Romeo by banishing him from the country. This event was caused by fate. Fate played out events specifically so Mercutio could die. Romeo backing down from fighting Tybalt and Mercutio taking his place was caused by fate. Mercutio’s death then lead to Romeo being filled with anger and killing Romeo. After killing Tybalt, realizing what he has done, Romeo says, “Oh I am fortune’s fool!” (Act 3, Scene 1). The importance of fate causing this event is because Romeo killing Tybalt is the turning point of the story. Tybalt’s death caused the beginning of a chain of bad events. Romeo’s banishment, his suicide, and Juliet’s suicide are all followed by this event. Similar Romeo killing Tybalt, Friar Lawrence’s plan failing was also caused by

After hearing about Romeo’s banishment, Juliet was distraught. Friar Lawrence was left with no choice but to help her so he made a plan. He gave Juliet a sleeping potion that would give her the appearance of death so she would not have to marry another man when she was already married to Romeo. However, fate caused a numerous amount of conflicts that stopped the plan from being communicated to Romeo. Friar John came to Friar Lawrence and said, “I could not send it—here it is again—(gives FRIAR LAWRENCE a letter) Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,” (Act 5, Scene 2). In this quote Friar John describes an epidemic that made his unable to deliver the new to Romeo. This miscommunication eventually led to the suicides of both Romeo and Juliet. If fate had not caused this event, Romeo and Juliet could have had lived long and happy lives. However, that is not what fate planned for them.

Fate determines the course of events in Romeo and Juliet. The story of Romeo and Juliet began before they met. Before even Romeo was banished for killing Tybalt and Friar Lawrence’s plan failed, fate planned out Romeo and Juliet’s lives to be at its mercy. Fate is the puppet master behind closed curtains. It is unproven whether or not fate is real. However, if it is real, it is not a force to be reckoned