How Shakespeare Presents and Portrays The Role Played By Fate In The Play

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In the tragic drama Romeo & Juliet Shakespeare shows fate usually as bad luck, and bad decisions of many characters. Therefore, their bad luck and bad decisions lead to a chain reaction, and this developed to a worsening of the situation. The role played by fate in the play is more like a god that is inevitable, nobody can change it. As I think the death of Romeo and Juliet should be mostly blamed on the fate that is already setted up.

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Relevant characters: Mainly Romeo and Juliet, As well as Friar lawrence(as he did a really important decision that highly affects Romeo and Juliet’s death).

hesis Statement: Shakespeare usually uses unfortunate luck and bad decisions of main characters as a form of fate, then, these terrible things accumulated together and lead to a chain reaction, finally leading to the death of Romeo and Juliet. Also, Shakespeare uses foreshadowing techniques to predetermine the tragic ending in the previous acts. The famous and lamentable tragedy Romeo and Juliet written by Shakespeare William is considered to be one of the most tragic plays in the world.

The story of the play is based on two young lovers that are famously referred to as ‘star-crossed lovers’.Two adolescents pursue their love for each other secretly, despite their families’ hate towards one another that has been ongoing for decades. Shakespeare presents Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy through the use of foreshadowing techniques to show the fate of the pair of lovers and form the fate as unfortunate luck and bad decisions or choices.

As a perspective on the whole play,through the entire play, Shakespeare uses unfortunate luck and bad decisions of main characters as a form of fate, then, these terrible things accumulated together and lead to a chain reaction, finally leading to the death of Romeo and Juliet.

Foreshadowing techniques that Shakespeare uses to predetermine the death of Romeo and Juliet is used to imply the death of Romeo and Juliet in the previous Acts. Before the play begins there is a prologue, this has already foreshadowed and indirectly tells us that Romeo and Juliet are destined to end in tragedy. “Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean”,” A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows” From this quotation, we can learn some deep understanding through “ star-crossed”. In my words, I can tell that “star-crossed” is the same as opposed by the stars. In the prologue oxymoron is used to create a dramatic impact to support the tragedy that will occur, 'civil blood,' The reference to Romeo and Juliet as 'star crossed lovers' suggests that Romeo and Juliet were supposed to die or like arranged to suicide together as this is their fate. Therefore this is what fate has planned for their lives, as it was crossed through the stars, this already foreshadows the ending, the audience sympathizes Romeo and Juliet as it is inevitable.

As in Shakespeare’s era, in most people's mind, the movement and position of the stars determine their life course. Maybe in the contemporary world, we consider this as “superstition”. But however, it is believable in their period. Moreover, “take their lives” also hints that the two lovers Romeo and Juliet will kill themselves together. At the same time, other short phrases in the prologue describe the death and the birth of Romeo and Juliet, which means this prologue has already predetermined the end and has given readers a clear understanding of this play.

Firstly, one of the factors to consider is the character decides on choices that they cannot foresee and lastly fate. The most clearly bad choice in the play is in Act 3 Scene 1 when Romeo becomes impulsive due to Mercutio’s death by Tybalt and Romeo fights against Tybalt, but in an accident he killed Tybalt. “Mercutio: Why the dev’l came to you between us? I was hurt under your arm. Benvolio:O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead. That gallant spirit hath aspired to the clouds. Throughout this part of quotation that I extracted from the text, we can easily see that Romeo has an extremely immature emotion and this leads to a serious punishment given by the prince. Mercutio is Romeo’s best friend, so in his opinion, avenge for his best friend is definitely right.

However, Romeo is almost the same as Mercutio, he is also a very rash, emotionally driven, and very young man. Originally, Romeo has a chance not to kill Tybalt and makes everything go well. While Tybalt runs away after he injures Mercutio, Romeo has the opportunity to calm down and not to try to catch Tybalt, and just leave Prince’s punishment to justice him. Instead, he rushes to Tybalt and stabs him just like Tybalt stabs Mercutio. Indeed, he does a good job on avenging Mercutio, but in the meantime, he breaks the further law in Verona.The thing is, after he kills Tybalt, he is banished in Verona, which means he will not be able to stay in Verona anymore. Then, Romeo has to leave Verona and go to Mantua for the rest of his life. Therefore, Romeo can’t see Juliet after this journey to Mantua. This bad choice is the key point of the play and leads the play to the climax.

Secondly, unfortunate luck is considered to be a form of inevitable fate in the play. Shakespeare always arranges some episodes at the crucial moments, and these small mistakes accumulated for a long time and finally lead to a chain reaction. Finally, these chain reactions lead to the greatest tragedy at the end of the play--the death of Romeo and Juliet.