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Romeo And Juliet Predetermined Fate

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Did Romeo and Juliet Die Because of a Predetermined Fate, or Was their Death the Result of Their Actions?
Many people debate whether it is written fate or free will that decides the outcome of everyone’s lives. William Shakespeare poses this question in his romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Set in Verona around the thirteen hundreds, the play is about two teenagers who fall in love and come from a pair of families that are arch enemies. Shakespeare uses the theme of fate or free will in many parts of the play to show how the lives of the main characters are controlled by their spiraling, uncontrollable fate. Shakespeare sends the message that the deaths of Romeo and Juliet were the result of fate because of the foreshadowing text of the play, …show more content…

Shakespeare uses foreshadowing in the text of the play to reveal what will happen later on, this gives the reader a feeling that the outcomes of Romeo and Juliet’s actions are predetermined. An example of this is in the prologue where the narrator states “A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life” (Shakespeare Prologue). The prologue takes place after the events of the play, however it is the first part of the story that is presented to the reader. Shakespeare is implying that their love and their suicide is meant to happen from the beginning. He is telling the reader that they are meant to meet each other from fate, and eventually fate kills them. Another reason the foreshadowing in the text shows that fate kills Romeo and Juliet are the feelings both the characters get at times in the story. Both Romeo and Juliet have bad instincts on what is about to happen. Again, The text predicts future events when Romeo is about to enter the Capulet ball. “For my mind misgives some consequence yet hanging in the stars shall bitterly begin his fearful date” …show more content…

A case of this would be Tybalt killing Mercutio, which causes Romeo to avenge Mercutio and kill Tybalt. As a result, Romeo is banished from Verona and sent to Mantua. If Tybalt never killed Mercutio, Romeo would never be sent to Mantua, it would be easier for Friar Lawrence, Romeo and Juliet to think up a smarter plan for Romeo and Juliet to be together. Tybalt’s actions were out of Romeo and Juliet’s hands and yet they still affect Romeo and Juliet in the grand scheme of things. Another instance of others’ actions affecting Romeo and Juliet are the decisions of Juliet’s parents. They have shown to pressure Juliet in areas of her life, especially marriage. Juliet’s mother talks to Juliet about marrying Paris and imply that it was not a choice, she would have to. Later on, Juliet’s father forced Juliet to marry Paris and if she does not he will banish her. This put a heavy weight on her shoulders and it causes her to break down and threaten to kill herself. Marrying Paris was not Juliet’s decision. If Juliet never married Paris then she would not have to plan to escape to Verona and fake her death by drinking the potion. Similarly, Friar Lawrence makes a very rushed solution for Juliet to drink the potion and send letters to Romeo explaining the plan. If Friar Lawrence sent the letters to Romeo prior to Juliet drinking the

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