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Lily AdamsonEnglish

Literature

How does Shakespeare present fate in Romeo and Juliet?

Shakespeare arguably makes a critical comment on society about the consequences of blindly following fate and not taking

responsibility for one's own actions. An Elizabethan audience would have been more superstitious than a modern day one and

would have absolutely believed in the same fate as the characters of the play do. They believed that fate could not be controlled

and a person's life was already predetermined rather like Friar Lawrence who claimed there was, 'A greater power than we can

contradict' that controlled Romeo and Juliet's relationship which ultimately leads to their downfall.

The audience are immediately presented with the fate of the lovers in the prologue.” A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their lives“

.We are told before the play even starts how it will end as though the characters, no matter what actions they take throughout the

play cannot change the course they are on as it has already been stated. Shakespeare's use of the word 'stars' implies a higher

being that is in control of them. The fact that they may have 'cross'd' the stars connotates that the stars are working against the pair

right from the start.

Not only do we see that their actions have little value when their destiny has already been decided but we also are provided with

hints that the characters themselves may be aware of this. When the pair first meet at the Capulet party Romeo is worried that

something is 'hanging in the stars' and feels like something bad is about to happen. This repetition of the stars further reinforces the

idea that powers beyond their being are in control of them no matter what they do to change it. Not only this but in the infamous

balcony scene, Juliet says that 'My grave is like to be my wedding bed' meaning that marrying Romeo would be the end of her life.

This could be read romantically in that her life would then be spent with him however given the context of the aforementioned fate,

the audience see this as marrying Romeo will result in her death. Also in this scene, she tells the Nurse that if Romeo is already

married she would die alone. This can also be linked back to her fate in that if Romeo was in fact already taken then his and her

relationship would not go ahead and therefore the fate of the lovers would not be so meaning that The lovers must end up together

on this predetermined path.

In Act One, Scene Four Romeo is seen to blame fate for his actions as though he has no control over his own life. “But he ,that hath

the steerage of my course”.The pronoun “He” shows that Romeo’s is claiming someone else to blame for his actions and therefore

he can take no responsibility. He also notably calls himself, 'fortune's fool' which plays on the Elizabethan beliefs around the Wheel

of Fortune that has control over your destiny and decides its own outcomes with any choice of your own. This is a recurring image

throughout the play - Romeo blames forces of a higher power for his actions and not himself. Shakespeare is clearly trying to show

the audience the danger in blindly following fate and believing you have no control over yourself.

The fact that Romeo believes that a higher power has control over his life is implied when he says that he will 'defy you stars' in Act

Five. Shakespeare allows Romeo to take matters into his own hands and to perceivably defy fate. In doing this he is suitably

punished by fulfilling the prophecy of the prologue and 'crossing' the stars therefore wilfully fulfilling his destiny and his actions lead

to his death. The argument is, was the couple's fate determined from the start or was Romeo to blame for their downfall by defying

fate? Or, although not conceivable by an Elizabethan audience, was it Romeo and Juliet's actions alone that lead to their deaths?

Shakespeare uses the theme of fate to challenge the audience's thinking - a firm believer in free will, he wanted the audience to

question what it was that led to the prophesied' star cross'd lovers' death. Throughout the play both characters seem very self aware

and there are many hints that suggest they fully understood the consequences of their own actions so it is difficult to believe, in

modern day viewing, that our fate and stars and destiny are to blame for the course of the play. In fact, what seems more plausible

to us now is that Romeo is the tragic hero of this tragedy and that his own acts and lack of responsibility for them are what caused

his and Juliet's death.

Hazel Bosworth

English Language

Niamh Maddern

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