How does William Shakespeare explore fate in Romeo and Juliet?

In this tragedy written by William Shakespeare a common use of writing is metaphor which communicates his idea of fate. Fate is used frequently in Romeo and Juliet and this shows that in Shakespeare’s perspective, is that God chose Romeo’s path and it was all meant and going to happen not matter what Romeo did.

An early example of fate which leads to Romeo and Juliet meeting and this whole massacre to occur is when Peter; a Capulet servant asks Romeo to help him read the guest list to the Capulet party. As Romeo reads the list, he sees that his ex girlfriend Rosaline was attending the party. Romeo was madly in love with Rosaline but she didn’t love him back and they broke up. Romeo’s intentions were to try and get back with her. So obviously Romeo goes to the party and he sees Juliet; automatically forgets about Rosaline; and falls crazily in love with her. Then later he finds out she is the daughter of his father’s enemy and the entire story happens.

An idea I want to go into further was that Romeo and Juliet’s ill-fated lives and they have no way of changing it. This was mention at the beginning of the play. Them unfortunate kids were described as ‘death-marked’ and ‘pair of star-crossed lovers’. William Shakespeare wrote this story with two identical families but one with a daughter and with a son. These two families hate each other but the son and daughter are actually in love and are destined to go through a hard life just to be together. Capulet and Montague hate each other and there is nothing either Romeo or Juliet can do. An example of Romeo trying to make peace was when Romeo refused to fight Tybalt in Act 2 Scene 4 and Romeo tried to tell Tybalt that they were actually family (because Romeo had just married Juliet and Juliet is Tybalt’s cousin) and that event ended up with Tybalt fighting Mercutio and Mercutio getting killed. After that Romeo realize Mercutio was dead and Romeo chases down Tybalt and then kills Tybalt. This shows when trying to make peace it ends up with both family lose a member of their love ones. This also was what the cause of Romeo being banned from Verona (for murdering); and the whole plan of him and Juliet living happily ever after just got harder. The way this got harder is that Juliet has to leave her city Verona just to be with man who murdered her cousin. She might be doubting that now.

Looking at the way William Shakespeare uses fate; the most common way is through metaphors. In the play, the the way he made the characters speak helped because of the use of metaphors. What is a metaphor? A metaphor is when (using Shakespeare as an example) for example Shakespeare writes down a sentences of words which mean something else and has a different meaning but you are saying that it is you. Here is a metaphor “He that hath steerage of my course, direct my sail”. In this metaphor Shakespeare likens the relation between a ship and Romeo and also Shakespeare says that God is directing this ship. So Romeo is asking God to give him a path and whatever path it is Romeo will follow it.

Shakespeare likes to use reference to religion in Romeo and Juliet. The reason for this is because in Shakespeareans’ era when William actually wrote these plays everyone was religious. That made it very believable. Something that Romeo says that link to religion was “Some consequences left hanging in the sky”. What this means is that Romeo has no control on what is going to happen. In the part ‘left hanging in the sky’ when he says sky he is referring to God. Romeo is saying that God is going to pick his consequence.

Another quote from the play “Tis torture and not mercy. Heaven is here, Where Juliet lives”. In this quote Romeo is telling Friar Lawrence that because Juliet; the love of his life, is living in Verona he is in heaven. Where ever Juliet is, that place is heaven. Talking about heaven is an reference to religion. In this part of the quote ‘Tis torture and not mercy.’ he speaks about the pain (torture) when he is without Juliet. The way that Romeo was speaking about Juliet; like he has no point of living if he is without her is already showing he would go to drastic measures to be with her even if that means for both of them in Heaven together. The reason why Romeo can’t be without Juliet is because Romeo killed Tybalt after Tybalt killed Mercutio. The arguments of Romeo’s father is that Tybalt killed someone and Romeo did what the law was going to do. That is why Prince Escalus (related to Mercutio) said he banished Romeo from the city but if he does see Romeo he will kill him. That’s why Romeo is upset about leaving the city of Juliet.

I hope you enjoyed my essay about how William Shakespeare explored fate in Romeo and Juliet. To sum up this essay the way that William Shakespeare explored fate was through metaphors and religion.

What is fate?

When something is planned and 100 percent going to happen and there is nothing you can do about it.

By Lueol Workneh.