Freewill In Romeo And Juliet

Whilst reading Romeo and Juliet, I learned many valuable lessons. In this essay, I will be discussing the three most important pieces of knowledge I gained from reading this book created by William Shakespeare. These include knowing that violence should never be the answer, being able to tell the difference between fate and freewill, and being able to understand that it is crucial to take time before making decisions.

With a crime index of 43.25, our city of Toronto actually tops Verona by 8.76, which has an index of 34.49 (Crime Comparison Between Toronto and Verona 2024). As you can tell, times have absolutely changed since when Romeo and Juliet was set, seeing how Verona, a city in Italy, was filled with brawls and battles on the peaceful

In this book, these two come into contrasting situations a bunch of times. Fate is the course of events that are outside of a person's control and are thought to be predetermined by a supernatural force. Though, free will is having the ability to act regardless of need or fate; the ability to make decisions for oneself. Firstly, “fate” is a short word, with a lot of meaning. This term is often used in Romeo and Juliet, whether it’s direct, or hidden throughout other phrases. In my opinion, fate is one of the causes of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. This is because, with the Montague-Capulet feud, any interactions between the two usually resulted in heavy violence. Even Friar Laurence agrees. “These violent delights have violent ends” - Friar Laurence, Act 2.6.9. Secondly, free will is equally important. In Verona, sometimes the gift of free will is given too carelessly. This then grants permission for bad acts to take place. Though, in all seriousness, the ability to be free is very important in our lives. Now, when comparing fate and free will, free will feels more personal. Personally, Romeo is the character that suffers the most with taking free will for granted. He always makes rash decisions, and he believes they are logical. For example, when he kisses Juliet at the Capulet ball, he chooses to do this all by himself. "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand; To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." Romeo Montague, Act 1.5.93. Lastly, let’s go into details and compare the two, fate versus free will. Fate is something you believe you cannot control, yet, free will is completely up to you. When Romeo and Juliet were born, the feud between the families had already started. Therefore, that is an example of fate because that plot was already set in stone. However, when the two were born, the families didn’t believe that their kids would become betrothed, meaning, the marriage was free