Examples Of Free Will In Romeo And Juliet

The Paradoxical Nature of Free Will

Are we merely puppets on strings or do we have the power to shape our own destiny? In Shakespeare’s famous “Romeo and Juliet”, both seem to guide the characters’ actions. Despite the pull of fate, characters have the ability to establish their own paths, exercising their right of autonomy. This perplexing paradox found throughout the narrative examines a variety of philosophical ideas discussing fate and free will, but what do they mean?

Romeo and Juliet’s poignant story delves deeply into the concept of fatalism, a philosophical belief asserting that all human choices and actions are immutable and preordained by a fixed natural order or divine purpose. This belief permeates the play's structure and

From the beginning, Shakespeare uses the prologue to introduce narrative tragedies. Shakespeare references Romeo and Juliet as "star-crossed" and "death-marked". These prologue statements set a dark, fateful tone for the tragedy that will inevitably claim the lives of titular lovers. As narrative unravels, the concept of fate remains a dark presence looming over Romeo and Juliet's story, which dictates their ending. For instance, following the death of Murcutio and Tybalt, Romeo utters the words, "O, I am fortune’s fool!" (1.3.114). These words reveal to us, as the audience, that Romeo believes that he lacks free will and that he is controlled by his fate of bad misfortune. Similarly, when Juliet realizes that Romeo has died beside her, she invokes words that make no attempt to disguise her conviction that

This conundrum is a central theme throughout the tale as well as in real life. For thousands of years, philosophers have debated various schools of thought in a spectrum, all of which question the fate, autonomy, and nature of human decisions in a new light. One such belief is compatibilism, which posits that libertarianism and fatalism can coexist simultaneously. Compatibilists argue that, despite being influenced by external factors beyond one's control (e.g., upbringing), individuals still possess the capacity to exercise free will within specific constraints. In this view, although certain aspects of Romeo and Juliet's tragic ending may have been predetermined by societal or familial forces at play, they still have some degree of agency and control over certain aspects of their lives. Existentialism forms another school that weighs in this debate, with a focus on the importance of individual experience and personal freedom. Existentialist philosophers assert that individuals are responsible for defining their own purpose and values, arguing that life is inherently without meaning, aside from what each person chooses to assign to it. In light of this perspective, Romeo and Juliet's decisions, actions, and outcomes can be seen as illustrative of authentic human