What Does Romeo And Juliet Have To Say About Fate And Destiny

Contemplating Fate and Destiny William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe suggest that despite fate's influence on life, One's destiny is ultimately theirs to control. The plays argue that the future of a person ultimately comes down to their decisions and actions, not an omniscient source. They emphasize the importance of a person taking responsibility and making conscious decisions. Despite the prevalent belief in fate, destinies are shaped more by a person's choices and actions than by fate, as evidenced by Juliet's decision to drink the potion, Romeo's choice to stay with Juliet on the balcony, and Pyramus and Thisbe's decision to meet in secret. Romeo and Juliet’s impulsive actions, from their hasty marriage

She could have chosen to run away with Romeo, or face her family, but instead chose a different path. Though Friar Lawrence warns her of the unpredictable effects of the potion, she states, “Give me, give me! O, tell not me of fear!” (4.1 122). This shows how she only wanted the potential benefits and didn’t care about possible consequences, nor was she interested in alternative options. If she had chosen to flee with Romeo or confront her family, she wouldn’t have had to fake her death. This may have prevented Romeo from making the rash decision to kill himself. An argument could be made that fate working against Juliet caused her to resort to such drastic measures. The pre-existing feud between the Capulets and Montagues proves their love was doomed from the start. The fact that Friar Laurence had to devise such a plan to help them, shows that even he believed that their destiny was largely out of their control. However, there were many opportunities before and after this incident that could have prevented the tragic outcome should someone have made a different

This shows how it is the characters' choices, rather than fate alone, that drive the tragic events of the play. One could argue that fate seems to have a heavy hand in the outcome of the play. The prologue famously declares that “A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,” (Prologue 5). The term “star-crossed lovers” means that their love was doomed from the start. Yet, as the play progresses, it becomes clear that the character's actions have a more significant impact on the