Predetermined Love in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Essay Example

Romeo and Juliet are victims of predetermined destiny, which is the main idea of William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. In the prologue, Romeo and Juliet are claimed to be “star-crossed” and “death-mark'd.” (Prologue. 6). Even the power of their love can not overcome this fate. The lives and deaths of Romeo and Juliet were predetermined by the stars, thus, as an audience we see this come through in Shakespeare's feud between the families, the information in the prologue, and their young love. 

In William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, the play begins with the Chorus speaking to the audience about the play they will see. In these lines, the author tells the audience that two families have been fighting for many years. According to the author, “From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean” (Prologue.4). This is stating that the hatred, conflicts, and violence between the families, stand together with their citizens. The feud between the family also led Romeo and Juliet to believe that they were not allowed to be together. As Juliet states, “My only love sprung from my only hate, Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me That I must love a loathed enemy” (1.5.137-140). Stating she will never be able to think of Romeo as not an enemy. As Juliet asks Romeo, “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” (2.2.33).  Juliet is asking, Why are you, Romeo?  She is stating that if Romeo was not a Montague, there would not be a problem. Given these points this proves that their families feud would affect their love from the start. 

The prologue reveals from the start that the lives and deaths of Romeo and Juliet were predetermined. The prologue sums up the whole play, therefore we know that Romeo and Juliet die at the end. We know from the prologue that the end of the story will be tragic. William Shakespeare states, “A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; whose misadventured piteous overthrows' “(Prologue. 6-7). Romeo and Juliet will end the feud by dying; therefore, their families' feud and their love will be the topic of the play, provided in the prologue. As stated in the prologue, “The fearful passage of their death-marked love.” (Prologue. 9). Shakespeare explained that the story of Romeo and Juliet will be a thrilling horror of love. Shakespeare also states, “Which, but their childrens’ end, nought could remove-- Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;” (Prologue. 11-12) Viewers will see that throughout the play that the only thing that would end their parents stride is their deaths, which means they are not destined to have a happy ending from the prologue. Romeo and Juliets love is predetermined in the prologue and it is explained that they are not meant to be together. 

Romeo and Juliet’s young love is part of the reason that their love was predetermined. Romeo and Juliets young ages did not help overcome their predetermined fate. As Romeo states, “This love I feel, that feels no love in this'' (1.1.177). It seems that in Romeo's young mind he feels that he is in love but he does not like it. Juliet states, “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love is as deep; the move I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.” (2.2.133-135). Juliet expresses her love as deep but also “boundless” and “infinite”, meaning she is feeling free from their love. Juliet could mean that should doesnt know how to feel about Romeo. Juliet is so young that she doesn't know much about love, but if she was older things would’ve worked out differently. Mercutio says to Romeo ``If love be rough with you be rough with love” (1.4.25). Mercutio is telling Romeo to switch roles and not to play the victim and to treat love the way it's treating him. Mercutio is telling Romeo what to do, meaning it in a sexual way as well, because at their age that's all they know about rather than love. Given that Romeo and Juliet are at such a young age they did not see that they were predetermined to end in failure.

Romeo and Juliet experience predetermined destiny throughout William Shakespeare’s  The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Their love is predetermined because though their families feud, they would never make it together because of the hatred. The prologue provides that the star crossed lovers will end in death, before the play even starts. Romeo and Juliet ages affect their love with their young minds. Overall, giving all of these reasons Romeo and Juliet were predetermined by the stars.