Jonathan Klein
Mr. Williamson
Honors English 9AB/B
31 March 2023
Forthcoming Catastrophe
Imagine starting a book, and before it even begins, the first page spoils the entire plot. People usually enjoy discovering the story line as they read and become horrified if someone spoils aspects of the narrative before they have reached that point. However, this technique is how William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet begins, with the narrator explaining how the play will unfold in the prologue, even before the first act. The foreshadowing from Shakespeare in the opening lines allows the audience to interpret the play in a unique way. The explanation allows the audience to analyze dialogue and finer details rather than the main plot. Through foreshadowing,
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When Romeo is getting over Rosaline, he fantasizes about Juliet and tells himself, “It [the light] is the east, and Juliet is the sun. / Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon” (2.2.3-4). Romeo spoke about how he misses Rosaline but is hoping that Juliet will ‘kill’ his envy for her. However, from a different perspective, it is seen that he is foreshadowing how he, the moon, will die because of his love for Juliet, the sun. Similarly, he declares right before leaving due to his banishment, “Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so,” declaring that he is willing to die if he gets to be with Juliet (3.5.24). Little does Romeo know how true this line is later in the play. Romeo, even though he knows that they are unable to be together, decides to try anyway, even though he is banished, and stays with Juliet until she makes him leave. When Romeo hears that Juliet is ‘dead’ he exclaims, “Is it e’en so? then I defy you, stars!” before running off to see Juliet for himself (5.1.24). Not only is he unable to accept that Juliet could be dead, but he also states that he is choosing to ‘defy the stars’ by attempting to go against his fate, which was predetermined from the start. Romeo chooses to only view his life in black and white, and through his weakness, he fulfills the prophecy made at the beginning of the