There are many factors that contribute to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Some people believe that the couple was doomed from the start due to the forces of fate. Others believe that they were ultimately responsible for their own demise because they made a series of poor choices.
Romeo and Juliet were two young people who fell in love at first sight. Their families were bitter enemies, so they had to keep their relationship a secret. Unfortunately, fate intervened and Romeo was banished from Verona after killing Juliet’s cousin Tybalt in a duel.
Juliet was heartbroken and desperate to be reunited with her true love. Against her parents’ wishes, she married Romeo in secret. When Romeo learned of Juliet’s marriage, he decided to take his own life rather than live without her. Juliet was so distraught at Romeo’s death that she killed herself as well.
So, were Romeo and Juliet truly doomed by fate? Or did they make choices that led to their tragic end? It’s up for debate. But one thing is certain: their story is one of the most timeless tales of love and tragedy in all of literature.
The influence of fate or the unfolding of events in a person’s life that are beyond their control is an element in everyone’s life. However, I think it is possible to alter one’s fate. No matter who you were destined/fated to be, I believe that destiny exists in everyone’s life, but not all fate is irreversible. I believe that with free will, you may modify your destiny and decide your future. Many literary tales contain evidence of this, and my thesis will address why I feel that fate can be altered.
First and foremost, fate is something that is pre-determined and can be seen as an unchangeable fact. In the story of Romeo and Juliet, their marriage was fated to end in tragedy from the beginning. The star-crossed lovers were never meant to be together, and no matter what they did, their fate was sealed. However, I believe that even though their fate was set in stone, they still had a choice in how they acted.
Romeo and Juliet could have chosen not to meet each other at all. They could have chosen not to fall in love so quickly. They could have chosen to tell their families about their relationship instead of hiding it. But they didn’t make any of those choices. They chose to follow their hearts and they paid the ultimate price for it.
I believe that even though fate is unchangeable, our actions are not. The decisions we make can change the course of our lives, even if fate has pre-determined the outcome. In Romeo and Juliet’s case, their fate was tragic, but I believe that if they had made different choices, they could have avoided their tragic end.
So, even though fate is unchangeable, I believe that through free will, we can change our destiny. Our choices may be limited by our fate, but we still have the power to choose what we do with the hand we’ve been dealt. And that is why I believe that fate can be changed.
Students in Jessica Barnes’ second hour literature class have been reading novels of their choice from a small list and watching the films Shrek I and II, both based on one of the selected books.
While reading these novels and watching the movies, a common theme has been reoccurring throughout both the literature and films. This theme is fate, and whether it is something that controls us, or if we have free will to make our own decisions. In Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, there are many examples of foreshadowing that suggest fate is controlling the lives of the characters in the story.
One example of this is when Romeo Montague goes to visit the seer, who tells him that his “true love” awaits him. The seer also says that Romeo will be banished, to which he replies “banished?” (Shakespeare 2.2.6). This is significant because it foreshadows that Romeo will eventually be banished from Verona for killing Tybalt Capulet. Furthermore, when Romeo first meets Juliet, he says “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun” (Shakespeare 2.2.3-4). This could be interpreted as Romeo being under the spell of Juliet, or it could be seen as fate drawing them together.
In addition, there are also several instances of irony in Romeo and Juliet. For example, when Romeo goes to visit Friar Lawrence to tell him that he wants to marry Juliet, Friar Lawrence replies with “wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast” (Shakespeare 2.6.13-14). This is ironic because, although Friar Lawrence is trying to caution Romeo about moving too fast, his advice ultimately leads to Romeo and Juliet getting married in haste and both of them dying in the end.
When considering all of the evidence from the story, it seems that fate is indeed responsible for the tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet. If Romeo had not gone to visit the seer, he may have never known about his banishment and could have avoided getting killed. Furthermore, if Friar Lawrence had not advised Romeo to marry Juliet so quickly, they may have had time to think things through and realized that their relationship was doomed from the start. In the end, it seems that fate played a significant role in the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
In this sad love story, Romeo, a Montague member, is unable to find love because the person he truly loves does not return his affection. Juliet, on the other hand, is destined to marry Paris, an older man. The two star-crossed lovers encounter at a party hosted by Sir Capulet in order for Juliet to fall in love with Paris. Instead of falling for Paris as she was meant to do, however , she falls in love with Romeo Montague – a member of her family’s sworn enemy – at first sight.
From there, the story of Romeo and Juliet spirals out of control as the two lovers are caught in a tangle of fate.
While it is easy to see how fate plays a role in this story – after all, if Romeo and Juliet had not met at that party, they would have never fallen in love – some may argue that free will is also at play. After all, it was Juliet’s choice to fall in love with Romeo, and not Paris. And while it may seem like their love was doomed from the start because of their respective families, they could have chosen to ignore the feud and run away together.