Examples Of Free Will In Romeo And Juliet

Anaya Jayaswal

Ms. Jordyn O’ Leary

9th Literature & Composition Honors

30 March 2023

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet: Fate of Free Will?

An age old tale, an ancient feud between two families, and a story ending in the bloodshed of two lovers. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet follows two young lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, each coming from two feuding families that despise each other. The pair fights to keep their love alive, but to their despair, it all ends in devastation. When reading Romeo and Juliet, the line between fate and free will is hard to decipher, but not nonexistent. So the question persists: Were Romeo and Juliet’s decisions their own or made due to an external force, such as fate? Although many other factors coexist

As said by Matrix education, “From this, we can see that Shakespeare has used repetition in Shylock’s monologue to confront his audience with the existing prejudice in society and its consequences - the persecuted seeks revenge. So the repetition here is emphasis on the cycle of hatred and anger that results from the existing social prejudice”(Dang). Although this doesn’t directly prove that Romeo and Juliet incorporates elements of fate, it shows readers how Shakespeare uses repetition in order to emphasize points that are significant in his writing. Similarly, Shakespeare uses repetition in Romeo and Juliet for the same purpose, when he referenced fortune or multiple things that symbolized fortune throughout the play.For example, Romeo said, “O, I am a fortune’s fool!” (Shakespeare 3.1.134). Romeo is trying to emphasize that he will always be binded down by his fortune, and the fortune that he has personified into a being will follow him throughout his

However, the majority of the evidence points to the conclusion that it was in fact an external force, namely fate. As said by the Internet Public Library, “ Their ‘fate’ was determined by events that could have been prevented by some people’s decisions. Romeo and Juliet led towards the path of death because of their own choices!” (Internet Public Library). One may say that Romeo and Juliet’s deaths were due to their own decisions, and could have been prevented if it wasn’t for their impulsiveness. Which in a way is true, but through foreshadowing you can see the true reasoning behind it all. But as I previously mentioned, Romeo and Juliet’s death is caused due to fate. One example of this is when 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 closed in my breast / By some vile forfeit of untimely death.” (Shakespeare 1.4.106-111). Before Romeo goes to the Capulet’s Ball, he has a dream in which he imagines that if he goes to the ball, he will have an “untimely death”. This is another way that Shakespeare shows the readers that Romeo and Juliet’s death is written into stone, and