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Reoccuring Fate In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

1379 Words6 Pages

Andrew McGillivray
Ms. Rauber
Honors English 9
11 November 2022
Reoccuring Fate in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet The all powerful robustness of fate exists throughout many stories, and, to some, exists in today’s world. Romeo and Juliet, a tragic play by William Shakespeare, excites the idea of fate through several characters. Within this tragedy, there is a rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets, both of the families in which Romeo and Juliet sprout from as everlasting lovers; however, due to this feud, these characters, along with many of their friends, must make impacting decisions that are, unknowingly, controlled by fate. With the characters and the use of metaphor, Shakespeare creates scenarios in which the characters live under …show more content…

Due to Romeo having a more joyous view of life, when bad things eventually do happen, it makes him become a more serious, yet still joking character. In the first act of Romeo and Juliet when Romeo, Benvolio, and Mecutio are all traveling to arrive at the Capulet’s party, Romeo insists to Mercutio that he feels as if something bad will happen: “I fear too early, for my mind misgives/ Some consequence yet hanging in the stars/ Shall bitterly begin his fearful date” (Shakespeare 1.4.113-115). By creating a scenario in which jesting commentary changes to abrupt seriousness, Shakespeare makes clear that Romeo feels a sense of foreboding while going to the party. Hence, Shakespeare establishes that Romeo can also occasionally become serious in times of living under the prowess of a higher power due to ill feeling or fear. By directly relating Romeo’s altercation in his personality from being a jokester to being serious as well as Romeo continuing to refuse to conform to fate just for a consequence, Shakespeare is able to make clear that fate is inevitable and unavoidable. Romeo’s beliefs also build into his weariness about the events happening to him and also helps support the theme after he recently killed Tybalt to then be banished. In the beginning of act three, Benvolio and Mercutio were discussing as Benvolio mentioned to Mercutio that it was best they head home in order to not fight the Capulets. However, Mercutio does not listen, and as a result comes into contact with Tybalt. Romeo attempts to intervene, but he is too late, and Mercutio falls to Tybalt for then Romeo, wanting vengeance, kills Tybalt as a result of this feud and says, “O, I am Fortune’s fool!” (Shakespeare 3.1.142). The feud between the two houses allows Shakespeare to illustrate the idea of this conflict being fated

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