Fate Is To Blame On Fate In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

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Tragedy is all around us in the world. The tragedy of Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet is that so many people receive fault for the death of Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawrence is at fault because he tells Juliet to fake her death and he is unable to communicate this to Romeo. Fate is also to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare writes the play giving the audience the final decision of who is at fault for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the play fault can be placed on Romeo. He makes a variety of choices that lead to Juliet’s death and his own. Romeo is constantly blaming his own careless behaviors on fate. He is warned not to attend the party but he smirks at fate by saying, “But he that hath the steerage of my course/Direct my sail,” (1.4.119-120). Romeo knows that he risks facing death himself if he attends the party, but still decides to go. He is leaving whatever happens at the party to fate. Another example of Romeo blaming his choices on fate would be after he kills Tybalt. Romeo calls himself “Fortune’s Fool” and realizes that he is going to have to face a punishment for his actions, that are of course caused by fate (3.1.142). Later when Romeo hears of Juliet’s death he blames fate and tries to kill himself, “Is it e’en so?-Then I deny you, stars!” (5.1.25). In this example Romeo is taking responsibility for his past actions by defying fate and taking things into his own hands. Juliet is also a naïve and impulsive girl that