Research Paper: Romeo & Juliet Through the Lens of “Fate”

📌Category: Plays, Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare, Writers
📌Words: 1135
📌Pages: 5
📌Published: 19 June 2021

“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes; a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”(Prologue 5-6). Just like the birth of stars, the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was unavoidable. Although Romeo and Juliet were responsible for their decisions, they were not liable for how outside events or influences tore their relationship apart. Certain uncontrollable factors such as the feud between the Capulets and Montagues could not be stopped, not even by love. The bloodlines that Romeo and Juliet were born into were due to fate. From which family they came from was what signified the beginning of the end for the lovers. This tragic love story was never of free will but of fate as people do not choose who they love. As soon as Romeo saw Juliet he fell madly in love with her and could not draw his eyes away from her even when learning that she was a Capulet. Love overpowers rationality and melts away all reasons why two lovers should not be together. Romeo and Juliet were meant to be together as their love story was written in the stars. Although their love would not be what would change the feud between the Capulets and Montagues, it would be their deaths. The two lovers are young and naive, reflecting how they loved one another without any thought of their families or the future. Their love story was a lesson of how people can hold grudges and be as passionate in love as they are in violence. The story of Romeo & Juliet was one dictated by fate, not free will as love is unpredictable and never lies in the hands of those who love one another.

To begin, Romeo and Juliet were born in different families who were in a quarrel because of a grudge held by the Montagues and Capulets for many years. Neither Romeo nor Juliet could change which bloodline they belonged to. Their story was designed by fate therefore, there was nothing that Romeo or Juliet could do to avoid their deaths or falling in love. Fate cannot be altered by any person or event, it is set in stone. This tragic love story served the purpose of being a lesson that would finally end the war between these two families. Fate brang Romeo and Juliet together that night at Capulet’s party and from then on, Romeo and Juliet’s story carried on because of their decisions. No one planned for Romeo and Juliet to fall in love with each other instead many told Romeo not to get involved with Juliet but it was too late. Romeo was taken by her beauty and was unable to move on from Juliet. Juliet was the one for Romeo due to fate. Romeo was meant to love Juliet as Juliet was meant to love Romeo. Their hands were meant to hold one another even in death and no event or person could change the course of their love story. 

Next, love is overpowering and leaves people blind which leads them to do things that may seem irrational or crazy to others. Romeo and Juliet are both young and love each other passionately. Even though Romeo attends the Capulet party, he does not question whether Juliet is a Capulet or not as the only thing on his mind is Juliet. Juliet goes home after finding out about Romeo being a Montague but she struggles with the feelings that she shares with Romeo earlier that night. Romeo sneaks into Juliet’s garden even though his actions could start trouble for his family. Romeo hears Juliet say, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” (2.2.35). Juliet is not asking where Romeo is instead she is asking why Romeo had to be from the Montagues. Juliet is agonized by the fact that their families are enemies which complicates her decision to either begin a romantic relationship with Romeo or reject him and do what her parents would want her to do. Romeo, later on, tells Juliet that he wishes that he could discard the name and just be with her. Love defies all logic and Romeo and Juliet’s love proves to be no exception. 

Thirdly, Juliet’s relationship with her father added pressure onto Juliet which Juliet nor Romeo could prevent. Although at the beginning of this play, Juliet’s father tells Paris that it is up to his daughter as to who she wants to marry, he, later on, commands Juliet to marry Paris and explains that she has no choice. Stricken with grief due to her father’s demand, Juliet searches for another way that she could be with Romeo until the friar comes along with a plan. One of the reasons why Juliet took the sleeping potion and accepted the friar’s plan was to run away with Romeo but this was all fueled by her father’s demand of his daughter having to marry Paris. Lord Capulet refused for his daughter to be with anyone except Paris although Lord Capulet did not realize that Juliet was madly in love with Romeo. The relationship between Juliet and Lord Capulet led to Romeo’s death which then led to Juliet’s death. 

Finally, misunderstandings throughout the play were unable to be changed by Romeo and Juliet as they believed each word that was sent to them. They interpreted each message as what truthfully happened and as to what the message conveyed. The biggest misunderstanding that took place within the play was when Romeo approached Juliet’s body believing that she was dead. He hears that Juliet is dead through his friend, Balthasar. Romeo is stricken with grief and sadness which leads him to want to join Juliet in heaven. So, he takes out a vile of poison and kills himself with the substance. Juliet then awakes to Romeo’s dead body and then decides to kill herself with Romeo’s dagger. Friar’s letter that informed Romeo about the plan to rejoin Juliet and him did not arrive in time, so Romeo truly believed that the love of his life was dead. Friar Laurence sent the letter to Friar John who was being quarantined due to the black plague and was prohibited from leaving Verona. Due to the black plague, Friar John was unable to deliver the letter to Romeo. This misunderstanding led to Romeo and Juliet’s tragic deaths though Friar Laurence could not have predicted the lover’s deaths, fate was the dictator of this love story.

In conclusion, fate ruled over this love story, not free will. Romeo and Juliet were unable to prevent or stop their love from growing for one another. The families from which these two lovers came was fate and no one could change the fact that they came from rival families. Juliet’s relationship with her father became complicated and then led to Juliet and Romeo’s death as Juliet was faced with a lot of pressure from her father to marry Paris. Misunderstandings were also caused by fate within this love story as Romeo was unaware that Juliet was asleep and not dead as the letter from Friar Laurence was never delivered to Romeo. The tragic end to this love story was Montagues and Capulets fault which is why their deaths led to the end of the long rivalry between the families. Romeo and Juliet were meant to be just as much as their deaths were meant to happen. 

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