Moral Decisions In Romeo And Juliet

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare's most beloved and performed plays. There is a debate to be had about why the star crossed lovers reach their untimely ends and if and how it could have been prevented. The two prominent arguments are that the characters are controlled by fate, or the characters make their own decisions. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet were caused by hasty decisions such as their marriage proposal, marriage and the killing of Tybalt.
At Romeo and Juliet’s second meeting at her balcony, the pair plan to get married. This meeting takes place less than an hour after their first encounter at the Capulet’s party. Although only knowing each other’s names, they decide to get married the next day with Juliet calling, “Romeo!; My sweet?; What O’clock tomorrow shall I send for thee?; By the hour of nine”(408). This rash decision was made in less than thirty seconds, while dating and engagement usually takes anywhere from a few months to a few years. Without considering future consequences of their actions, the pair decides to be wed the next day without telling anyone but the Friar, expecting all to go smoothly.
Romeo immediately goes to Friar Lawrence’s cell to tell him of their plans and to request to be married. The urgency of Romeo causes

This force of fate is implied to be an all powerful force that can make any person do any action, regardless of the situation. Romeo believes that he is controlled by fate, when after killing Tybalt he exclaims “O, I am fortune’s fool!”(429). He does not want to accept that it was his fault for killing Tybalt, not fate or any other force. He puts this blame on fate to feel less guilty of what he has done. This theory is just a way to take the blame of the pair from their mistake, and put it on the mystic force of