The Role Of Fate In Romeo And Juliet

Fate is the development of events beyond a person's control, usually regarded as controlled by a supernatural power. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is the story of two young lovers from opposing families. Fate is a dominating and inescapable force throughout the play. From the very beginning of the play,fate predetermined Romeo and Juliet’s death. The prologue introduced their destiny when it stated that Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed”. In the time period Romeo and Juliet took place, people believed that the alignment of the stars dictated their lives. If a person’s stars were crossed, it meant that they were doomed or were ill-fated. The prologue also directly states that Romeo and Juliet will die. By telling us that Romeo and Juliet are destined to die, the end of the play is given before it even starts. It shows how their deaths are inescapable, and that no matter what they do they will die. Thus, fate sets up Romeo and Juliet’s death from the start.
One example is found in Act 1, Scene 4 right before he arrived at Lord Capulet’s party. He sensed that something bad would begin by going to the party,but he knows that he is not in control of his destiny. In Act 3, Scene 1, he claimed that he was “fortune’s fool” because he had contributed to his own downfall by killing Tybalt. When Balthazar tells him that Juliet is dead, Romeo once again speaks about the power of fate and said “Is it e’en so? Then I defy you, stars!(Act 5, Scene 1)” His plan to commit suicide in order to escape his fate instead fulfilled it. This is how Romeo acknowledged fate’s power in the